Running a Museum A Practical Handbook

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Running a Museum:
A Practical Handbook
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Running a Museum:
A Practical Handbook
PUBLISHER:
ICOM – International Council of Museums
Maison de l’UNESCO
1, rue Miollis
75732 Paris Cedex 15
France
ICOM is very grateful to th United Nations Development
Group Trust Fund (UNDG TF) for making this publication
possible.
Editor and Coordinator: Patrick J. Boylan
ICOM Secretariat Coordination: Jennifer Thévenot
Layout and cover design: Edward Moody Design
Printer: Franly S.A.
Photo and other illustration credits:
Where not otherwise acknowledged the photographs, diagrams
and other illustrations are by, and are the copyright of, the author
of the chapter concerned. ICOM thanks both the authors and
the other copyright owners for their support and coorperation.
© 2004, ICOM, all rights reserved
ISBN 92-9012-157-2
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Contents
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .v
by Alissandra Cummins, President of ICOM
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vii
by Patrick Boylan, Coordinator & Editor
The Role of Museums and the Professional Code of Ethics
by Geoffrey Lewis
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Historical background to collecting; The first public museums; Minimum standards & professional ethics; Managing the museum; Making and maintaining
collections; Interpreting and furthering knowledge – accessibility; Appreciating and promoting the natural and cultural heritage; Public service and public benefit;
Working with communities; Legislation; Professionalism.
Collections Management
by Nicola Ladkin
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Developing a collections management policy; Acquisition and accessioning; Deaccessioning and disposals; Numbering and marking of objects in the collection;
Loans condition reports; Collections storage; Handling and moving collections; Photography; Insurance; Public access to collections; Display and exhibition
galleries and rooms; Research of collections.
Inventories and Documentation
by Andrew Roberts
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Acquisitions, long-term loans and accessioning; Inventory control and cataloguing; Syntax and terminology; Object numbering, labelling and marking; Location
and movement control; Backlog accessioning, inventory control and cataloguing; Manual and computer-based cataloguing and retrieval; Images; Web access to
the information about the collection; Staff and Financial Resources; Recommended cataloguing fields.
Care and Preservation of Collections
by Stefan Michalski
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Deciding priorities and assessing risks; Reducing future loss and damage in 100 years or more; Classifying risks to collections; The Nine Agents of Deterioration; The
collection preservation cycle: Step 1: Check the basics – Step 2: Survey the risks – Step 3: Plan improvements to collection risk management; Examples of specific
risk assessments and individual solutions; Integrated risk management of pests (IPM); Integrated, sustainable risk management of lighting, pollutants, temperature,
and humidity; Museum lighting guidelines; Museum temperature and humidity guidelines; Museum pollutant guidelines; Integrating management of all four agents.
Display, Exhibits and Exhibitions
by Yani Herreman
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
Types of displays; The object: interpretation within the exhibition context; Exhibition management in relation to other museum activities; Design: the basic planning
and designing process; Creating the planning brief; Developing the exhibition; Production and materials; Completing the exhibition; Evaluating the finished exhibition.
Caring for the Visitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105
by Vicky Woollard
The benefits for museums?; What are the underpinning principles for providing quality visitor services; Some key issues to consider in developing a visitor
services policy statement; Defining and understanding the visitor; Types of visitors and their needs; Planning and managing visitor services; Specific areas for
attention; Checklist from the visitors’ point of view.
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v
Museum Education in the Context of Museum Functions
by Cornelia Brüninghaus-Knubel
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Collections and education; Developing and managing museum education; Museum education and the community; Designing educational programs: the basic
principles; Choice of teaching and learning methods in museum education; Museum publications; Types of didactic material commonly used in museums; Extramural activities; Informal education.
Museum Management
by Gary Edson
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
Management structure; Teamwork; Leadership styles of directors and other senior staff; Building a mission statement; Financial management; Six rules for
planning a budget; Museum ethics and management; The planning process; Issues to be considered; Evaluation; SWOT analysis.
Managing People
by Patrick Boylan
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
Understanding personnel management; The main categories of museum work and museum employees; Personnel information, involvement and fairness;
Recruiting and retaining high quality staff; Recruitment and promotion selection methods and approaches; Minimum requirements for a statement or contract of
the terms of employment; Staff management, training and professional development; Disciplinary and grievance procedures; Health and safety at work; How to
assess risks in the workplace: five steps in risk assessment.
Marketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161
by Paal Mork
Introduction to marketing; The current orientation of museums in relation to marketing theory and practice; Product, price, promotion, place; Strategic market
planning; Mission and vision; Internal and external factors; Target groups; Promotion; Advertising; Public relations; Building a museum “brand”.
Museum Security, including Disaster Preparedness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177
by Pavel Jirásek
Who is responsible for security policy and its enforcement?; Risk analysis and the security plan; Implementing the strategic plan for museum protection;
Measures to ensure security in display and exhibition rooms; Intruder Detection System (IDS); Access Control System (ACS); Closed Circuit Television (CCTV);
Automatic fire detection and alarm system (FAS); The Emergency Plan.
Illicit Traffic
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .197
by Lyndel Prott
Prevention; Inventories; Object ID Checklist; National legislation; Tourists and visitors; Training; Detection; Recovery; International co-operation; International
Conventions; Recovery where the Conventions do not apply; Litigation.
Brief explanations of some key terms as they are used in this book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .206
References and further information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .212
Brief biographies of the Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .217
ICOM Code of Professional Ethics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .220
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Foreword
Alissandra Cummins, President of ICOM
The preparation of this book, Running a Museum: A Practical Handbook, came about at the request of
UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Cultural Heritage of Iraq. The need was
felt for an elementary manual that could be used by trainers and trainees in courses on museum subjects, as a
tool for persons already working in museums in Iraq, and as a reference document providing guidance for more
in-depth study of particular aspects. It would also be of interest to laymen in understanding the basic aspects of
running a museum.
However, recognising the usefulness of such a publication throughout the international museum community,
UNESCO decided to broaden its scope and to make it available to all museums in the Arabic-speaking world,
as well as in a simultaneous English edition for wider use.
This publication is another example of ICOM’s direct response to the need to provide professional training
and practical advice wherever it is needed. Indeed, in its almost sixty years of existence ICOM has sought to
promote professional standards of professional training and practice in tandem with collaborative approaches to
work. Today one of the organisation’s stated objectives remains to advance “the sharing of professional knowledge
and museum practice internationally through mutual assistance,” while at the same time actively encouraging
new models for collaboration. ICOM’s key mission after establishing professional and ethical standards for
museum activities is the promotion of training, and the advancement of knowledge. The authors of the twelve
chapters have drawn on their wide range of museum experience and professional expertise while at the same time
aptly representing the diverse and multi-cultural society/ties in which we now live.
I should like to acknowledge with grateful thanks the financial support of the United Nations Development
Group Trust Fund for the production of this book. The invaluable contributions of all the writers working under
the inspired editorship of Patrick J. Boylan, should also be recognized. Finally the staff of ICOM’s programme
sector played a key role in the preparation and coordination of this book. In my view they have together created
an excellent tool for both academic and self-directed learning, one which will support the development of the
museum profession globally for many years to come.
Alissandra Cummins, President
International Council of Museums (ICOM)
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Introduction
Patrick J. Boylan
Running a Museum: A Practical Handbook is intended to
provide an overview of the key aspects of the operation of
a museum that is anxious to serve the needs and hopes of
its visitors and the wider community in the 21st century.
Museums need to remain faithful to traditional core
values of the museum and continue to emphasise the care
and development of collections that provide physical
evidence of the culture and environment of the museum’s
chosen territory, whether this be a single historic or
archaeological site, a city, a region or a whole country.
Equally, however, the contemporary museum needs to
have a strong focus on seeking excellence in its services to
its many publics, whether these are young school
children, advanced students, general visitors for the
locality, international or national tourists, or specialist
researchers.
Running a Museum aims to serve several purposes. We
hope that the information and advice on current “best
practice” will be of practical value:
1. to new or future museum professionals with
minimum experience so far of running a museum;
2. to experienced professionals and technicians in one
of the many specialised areas of museum work by
explaining to them about the responsibilities and
work of their colleagues in other departments and
specialisms;
3. as a valuable resource in the very necessary internal
discussions among staff and governing authorities
about the current performance and the future policy
and direction of their own institution.
We want to emphasise that Running a Museum should
not be regarded as either some sort of theoretical textbook
nor as just a technical reference manual, though with its
discussions of important issues of principle, and the many
practical examples of “good practice” the authors hope
that it will be of value in both museum professional
training and career development and as a source of
important technical information and advice. Instead, we
hope that it will help the staff of museums in a process of
internal reform and modernisation of both policy and
practice within their own institutions.
At many points the reader will find practical exercises
and important issues highlighted. Though some of these
could be carried out as a solo exercise by the reader, these
assignments are mainly designed for group discussion and
practical exercises involving several members of the
museum’s staff. Ideally such study or working groups
should be drawn from several different specializations, job
positions and levels of responsibility within the institution
so that several different perspectives are brought to bear on
the question being studied. It is also hoped that these
exercises will also be of value in more formal museum
training and career development programmes.
A recurring theme through most of the chapters is the
need for the staff of every museum to cooperate with each
other and work together as a team, and to quickly develop
an understanding of the work and responsibilities of
everyone else working in the museum. We see this as a
practical necessity in a world where there is increasing
emphasis on decentralising managerial power and
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Running a Museum: A Practical Handbook
In t ro d u c t i o n
responsibility within all organisations to the lowest
practicable level within the hierarchy or staff structure.
The twelve contributors to this Handbook, drawn from
different parts of the world, are each recognised experts in
their own field, with between them many decades of both
practical experience of working in the specialised field
covered by their chapter, as well as much experience of
advisory and teaching work with a wide range of museums
and other heritage bodies throughout the world.
The aim of each chapter is to provide practical advice
and points for discussion. The main text in each chapter is
supported throughout by both supplementary
information, including for example key technical data and
standards, and suggestions for practical exercises and
discussion topics for internal use, whether by an individual
professional, a small study group, by participants in a
training or staff development programme or exercise, or by
the entire staff.
The chapter on the role of museums and of professional
ethics introduces the common tradition, values, and
standards of institutional and professional conduct that
should lie behind all specialised activities within museums
and related institutions and that should be the
foundations on which everything else is built.
The next group of chapters offer a contemporary
perspective on the core activity of museums, but one that
has expanded in scale and complexity in recent years: the
development, management, documentation, care and
preservation of the collections.
Communication is also a very important museum
function, and the role of display and exhibitions, the
emerging professional field of visitor care, and of both
formal and informal museum education and learning are
examined in turn.
Traditionally, administration tended to be regarded as
a relatively unimportant part of museum operations,
viii
since most of the key administrative functions, such as
the maintenance and the management of the museum
buildings and of both financial and personnel
operations, were most often the responsibility of the
relevant specialist government or town hall departments.
However, the rapid trend towards the decentralisation
of such functions, and therefore the transfer of such
responsibilities to the museums themselves, has made
both general and personnel management far more
important, and a key responsibility of the director and
other senior staff in particular. Also, marketing has
become an important aspect of the work of museums
today. With declining levels of public support, very
many, probably most, museums now need to earn more
and more of their running costs through fund-raising
and income-generation activities.
Similarly, faced with the growth of international crime
against cultural property of all kinds, including both
museum collections and heritage sites, museum security
concerns are increasingly important, as is the
international struggle against illicit trafficking in stolen
and illegally acquired and transferred antiquities, works
of art, natural history specimens and other cultural
property. This Handbook therefore concludes with
chapters on these two important topics.
We hope that readers will find Running a Museum: A
Practical Handbook challenging and thought-provoking in
relation to their understanding of the role and future
potential of the museum as a whole, and of the reader’s
actual and potential personal contribution to maintaining
and improving its professional and public services.
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The Role of Museums and the Professional Code of Ethics
Geoffrey Lewis
Chair, ICOM Ethics Committee
The Role of Museums
Museums look after the world’s cultural property and
interpret it to the public. This is not ordinary property.
It has a special status in international legislation and
there are normally national laws to protect it. It is part of
the world’s natural and cultural heritage and may be of a
tangible or intangible character. Cultural property also
often provides the primary evidence in a number of
subject disciplines, such as archaeology and the natural
sciences, and therefore represents an important
contribution to knowledge. It is also a significant
component in defining cultural identity, nationally and
internationally.
Historical background to collecting
Collections of objects brought together because they have
personal or collective associations occur in remote
antiquity. Grave goods found with Palaeolithic burials
provide evidence of this. However, development towards
the museum idea occurs early in the second millennium
BCE at Larsa in Mesopotamia where copies of old
inscriptions were reproduced for educational use in the
schools there. Archaeological evidence from the sixth
century BCE levels at Ur suggest that not only were the
kings Nebuchadrezzar and Nabonidus collecting
antiquities at this time, also, about the same time, there
was a collection of antiquities in a room next to the temple
school which was associated with a tablet describing earlier
brick inscriptions found locally. This could be considered
to be a ‘museum label’.
Despite the classical origins of the word ‘museum’,
neither the Greek nor the Roman empires provide
examples of a museum as we know them today. The
votive offerings housed in the temples, sometimes in
specially built treasuries, were normally open to the
public, often on payment of a small fee. They included
works of art, natural curiosities as well as exotic items
brought from far-flung parts of the empire but were
primarily a religious provision. The veneration of the
past and of its personalities in Oriental countries also led
to the collection of objects while relics were being
accumulated at the tombs of early Muslim martyrs of
which those dedicated to Imam-Reza at Meshed in
north-west Iran is today housed in a museum near the
tomb. The idea of al-waqf, involving the giving of
property for the public good and for religious purposes,
also resulted in the formation of collections.
In medieval Europe, collections were mainly the
prerogative of princely houses and the church. Such
collections had an economic importance and would be
used to finance wars and other state expenses. Other
collections took the form of alleged relics of
Christendom. With the resurgence of interest in its
classical heritage and facilitated by the rise of new
merchant and banking families, impressive collections of
antiquities were formed in Europe. Outstanding among
the collections was that formed and developed by the
Medici family in Florence and eventually bequeathed to
the state in 1743 to be accessible ‘to the people of
Tuscany and to all nations’. Royal and noble collections
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T h e Ro l e o f Mu s e u m s a n d t h e Pro f e s s i o n a l Co d e o f Et h i c s
were also formed in many other European countries. By
the seventeenth century, increasing interest into human
as well as natural history led to the creation of many
specialised collections by the intelligentsia of the day.
This is also the period when the first scientific societies
were established; and a number formed their own
collections, the best known being Accademia del
Cimento in Florence (1657), the Royal Society of
London (1660) and the Academie des Sciences in Paris
(1666). By this time systematic classifications for the
natural and artificial world were available to assist
collectors in ordering their collections. This reflects the
spirit of system, rational enquiry and an encyclopaedic
approach to knowledge now emerging in Europe.
The first public museums
Encyclopaedic museums
It is in the encyclopaedic spirit of the so-called
European Enlightenment that public museums emerge.
The Ashmolean Museum, opened by the University of
Oxford in 1683, is generally considered to be the first
museum established by a public body for the public
benefit. This was based largely on the eclectic collections,
from many parts of the world, brought together by the
Tradescant family and previously displayed to the public
at their home in London. It was encyclopaedic in
character and this is a feature of two other well-known
museums of this early period: the British Museum,
opened in London in 1759 and the Louvre, Paris,
opened in 1793; both were government initiatives, the
former resulting from the acquisition of three private
collections and the latter from the “democratisation” of
the royal collections.
Society museums
Learned societies were also among the early originators
of public museums. This was particularly so in Asia. In
2
The British Museum was established by an act of parliament which
stated that the museum was "not only for the inspection and
entertainment of the learned and the curious, but for the general use
and benefit of the public". It opened in 1759 in Montagu House,
Bloomsbury (see above) specially purchased for the purpose. Public
access was free from the outset, although initially it was necessary to
apply for a ticket to gain admission. A visitor from France in 1784,
observed that the Museum was expressly "for the instruction and
gratification of the public".
The museum comprised classical antiquities, natural history
specimens, manuscripts as well as ethnographic, numismatic and art
material. The founding law reflected this encyclopaedic thinking of the
time stating "all arts and sciences have a connexion with each other".
But the natural history collections were moved out to form the Natural
History Museum, which opened in 1881.
Jakarta the collection of the Batavia Society of Arts and
Science was begun in 1778, eventually to become the
Central Museum of Indonesian Culture. The origins of
the Indian Museum in Calcutta are similar, being based
on the collections of the Asiatic Society of Bengal which
commenced in 1784. Both museums covered the arts
and sciences and were concerned with furthering
knowledge about their respective countries. In the
United States, the Charleston Library Society of South
Carolina announced its intention in 1773 of forming a
collection of the `natural productions, either animal
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James Macie Smithson wished to see an institution established "for
the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men". This was the
beginning of the world-renowned scientific and educational facility
known as the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC. The legislation
establishing it provided for a building to house an art gallery, library,
chemical laboratory, lecture halls, and museum galleries; "all objects
of art and curious research...natural history, plants, geological and
mineralogical specimens" belonging to the United States were to be
accommodated there. The Smithsonian's first building (pictured above)
was completed in 1855 and the United States' National Museum
opened three years later. The collections soon out-grew the building.
Today, the Mall in Washington DC is lined with the specialist museums
of the Smithsonian Institution.
vegetable or mineral’ with a view to displaying the
practical and commercial aspects of agriculture and
medicine in the province.
National museums
The role of the museum in contributing to national
consciousness and identity developed initially in Europe
and with this the recognition that museums were the
appropriate institutions for the preservation of a nation’s
historic heritage. This role continues today and is often
emphasised in the national museums of newly
established or re-established states. Nineteenth century
expressions of this role include the national museum in
Budapest, which originated in 1802 and was built from
One of the first museums in South America was founded in Buenos
Aires in 1812 and opened to the public in 1823 as a museum of the
country. It was housed in the university for many years. Now the
Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences in Buenos Aires, it moved into
its present building (above) in 1937. The collections cover all fields of
natural and human history but are especially strong in paleontology,
anthropology, and entomology.
money raised from voluntary taxes; it later became
identified with the fight for Hungarian independence. In
Prague a revival in nationalism led to the founding of the
national museum in 1818 and its new building, not
opened until 1891, became symbolic of the Czech
national revival. Both initially housed collections from
the arts and sciences but as the collections grew they
were transferred to other buildings. In Hungary, for
example, this led to the formation of specialised
museums: Applied Arts, Fine Arts, National Culture and
Natural Science.
Specialised museums
The concept of an encyclopaedic museum of national or
global culture thus waned during the nineteenth century
in favour of national museums of increasing
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In 1835 an Antiquities Service was established by the Egyptian
government to protect its archaeological sites and store the artefacts.
A museum was formed in 1858 but the collection was not exhibited in
a permanent building until the Egyptian Museum in Cairo was opened
in 1902 (see above). Shortly after this, some of the collections were
transferred to form two new well-known institutions, the Islamic
Museum (1903) and the Coptic Museum (1908).
specialisation. This was accentuated where museums
were also viewed as vehicles for promoting industrial
design and technical achievement. International
exhibitions of manufactures contributed to the
formation of a number of such specialised museums,
including the Victoria and Albert Museum and Science
Museum in London, the Technisches Museum, Vienna
and the Palais de la Decouverte in Paris.
General and local museums
The encyclopaedic idea, expressed now in general
museums, remains a characteristic of many regional and
local museums. These developed from the collections of
private benefactors and societies particularly from the
mid-nineteenth century. In Britain, municipal museums
were seen as a means of providing instruction and
4
The Institute of Jamaica was established in 1879 for the
encouragement of literature, science and art in Jamaica. By 1891 a
science museum had been established and the following year a
portrait gallery was opened. Today, it administers a number of history
and ethnography museums in different parts of the island.
The science museum – now the natural history division – is in the
headquarters building of the Institute in Kingston (above).
entertainment to the increasingly urbanised population
and developed in the context of reforms to overcome
social problems resulting from industrialisation. Where
they were established at a port or other centre for
international trade, the collections often reflected the
global nature of this. These local and regional museums
also had a role in promoting civic pride.
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A few years following independence, the Nigerian government
established a National Museums and Monuments Commission with
responsibility for establishing national museums in the principal cities.
This was part of a policy to promote the development of cultural
identity and national unity. Some of these museums have developed
workshops where traditional crafts can be demonstrated.
The Jos Museum, one of the earliest of the national museums, has
developed a museum of traditional architecture (picture above).
Open Air museums
A new type of museum emerged in Sweden in 1872 to
preserve aspects of the traditional folk-life of the nation
with the creation of the Nordiska Museet at Stockholm.
This was extended to collecting traditional buildings
which were then re-erected at Skansen, the first open air
museum. A variation to this theme has appeared in
Nigeria where much of the traditional architecture is too
fragile to move. Instead, craftsmen builders have been
brought to the Museum of Traditional Architecture at
Jos to erect examples of buildings representative of
different parts of Nigeria.
Working museums
Other museums have developed workshops where
traditional crafts can be demonstrated and sometimes
exploited commercially for the benefit of the museum.
Elsewhere workshops and industrial sites have been
preserved in situ and restored to their former working
condition. In such cases the emphasis is more on
preserving and maintaining historic processes rather
than the equipment used to achieve them and to ensure
a continuity of the skills associated with them.
It is at this level that intangible aspects of the heritage
and the need to preserve them become particularly
apparent. The detailed knowledge and the skills required
to fabricate an object are best transmitted through oral
and visual means and preserved through multimedia
techniques. Such approaches can be applied widely in a
number of museum situations.
Site museums
Where the site is being preserved in its own right, as with
archaeological sites and areas of natural habitat, different
criteria apply. There will be particular concern that the
site can be maintained as far as possible in good
condition having regard to environmental factors,
including climate, and the impact that visitors might
have on it. Interpretive facilities also need special
treatment and how these can best be achieved
unobtrusively both for the site and the finds from it.
Virtual museums
The availability of information and communication
technologies bring new opportunities to the
interpretative aspects of museums. This can manifest
itself in a number of ways. For this purpose the
opportunity to bring together digital images, particularly
from diverse sources, in order to present and interpret
the cultural and natural heritage and to communicate
this to wider audiences must now be regarded an
important role for museums.
Minimum Standards & Professional Ethics
Museum work is a service to society. It demands the
highest standards of professional practice. The
International Council of Museums (ICOM) sets
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minimum standards in defining its Code of Ethics. These
are used here to indicate the level of performance that
both the public and colleagues might reasonably expect
from all concerned with the provision and execution of
museum services. These standards can be developed to
meet particular local requirements and those of the
specialist requirements of museum personnel.
Managing the museum
An effective museum service requires the confidence of
the public it serves. All responsible for the care and
interpretation of any aspect of the world’s tangible and
intangible cultural inheritance, whether at local or
national level, need to foster this confidence. An
important contribution to this is by creating public
awareness of the role and purpose of the museum and
the manner in which it is being managed.
Institutional standing
The protection and promotion of the public heritage
requires that the institution is properly constituted and
provides a permanence appropriate to this responsibility.
There should be a written and published constitution,
statute or other public document, which accords with
national laws. This should clearly state the standing of
the institution, its legal status, mission, permanence, and
non-profit nature.
The strategic direction and oversight of the museum is
normally the responsibility of the governing body. They
should prepare and publicise a statement of the mission,
objectives, and policies of the museum. They should also
set out of the role and composition of the governing body.
Premises
To undertake the museum function requires adequate
premises with a suitable environment to fulfil the basic
functions defined in the governing body’s mission. A
museum and its collections should be available to all
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during reasonable hours and for regular periods with
appropriate standards to ensure the health, safety, and
accessibility of its visitors and personnel. Particular regard
should be given to access by persons with special needs.
Security
The nature of museum collections requires that the
governing body provides appropriate security to protect
the collections against theft or damage in displays,
exhibitions, working or storage areas, and while in
transit. Policies should also be in place to protect the
public and personnel, the collections and other resources,
against natural and man-made disasters.
The approach to insuring or indemnifying the
resources of the museum may vary. However, the
governing body should ensure that the cover is adequate
and includes objects in transit or on loan and other items
currently the responsibility of the museum.
Funding
It is the governing body’s responsibility to ensure that
there are sufficient funds to carry out and develop the
activities of the museum. These funds may be from the
public sector, from private sources or generated through
the museum’s own activities. There should be a written
policy of acceptable practice for all funding sources and
all funds must be accounted for in a professional manner.
Regardless of the funding source the museum must
maintain control of the content and integrity of its
programmes, exhibitions and activities. Incomegenerating activities should not compromise the
standards of the institution or its public.
Personnel
The museum’s personnel are an important resource. The
governing body should ensure that all action concerning
its personnel is taken in accordance with the policies of
the museum as well as the proper and legal procedures in
force locally.
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Ethics – Case Study 1
You have been planning for years to organise an important
exhibition in your subject but lack of funds has always
prevented this. The press and television have publicised
your need for a sponsor. To your surprise a large company
writes offering to bear the full cost of the exhibition,
subject to their name being associated with it in any
publicity. You share this good news with a colleague who
tells you that the local community are fighting a campaign
against this company because they wish to develop a site
of scientific interest which is also sacred to the first
peoples of the area. How do you proceed?
The director or head of the museum is a key post and
should be directly responsible, with direct access, to the
governing body. When making such an appointment,
governing bodies need to have regard for the knowledge
and skills required to fill the post effectively. These
qualities should include adequate intellectual ability and
professional knowledge, complemented by a high
standard of ethical conduct.
The museum function involves many different skills and
qualified personnel with the expertise required to meet all
responsibilities should be employed. There should also be
adequate opportunities for their continuing education and
professional development of museum personnel.
Some museums encourage volunteer help. In such
cases the governing body should have a written policy on
volunteer work which promotes a positive relationship
between volunteers and museum personnel. Volunteers
should be fully conversant with the ICOM Code of Ethics
and other applicable codes and laws.
The governing body should never require museum
personnel or volunteers to act in a way that could be
considered to conflict with the provisions of any national
law or relevant code of ethics.
Making and maintaining collections
Acquisitions policy
Museums have the duty to acquire, preserve and
promote their collections. These collections are a
significant public inheritance and those involved with
them hold positions of public trust. The governing body
should therefore adopt and publish a written collections
policy that addresses the acquisition, care and use of the
collections.
Ethics – Case Study 2
You are trying to build a representative collection in your
subject. There are a few gaps that you have yet to fill. You
also have a number of specimens of the same type which
have been given to the museum although their associations
with people and places and other material are different. A
local collector has two items which would help to complete
your collection and he offers to exchange these for the
items you have of the same type. What do you do?
The policy should also clarify the position of any
material that will not be catalogued, conserved, or
exhibited. For example, there may be certain types of
working collections where the emphasis is on preserving
cultural, scientific or technical process rather than the
object, or where objects or specimens are assembled for
regular handling and teaching purposes.
The acquisition of objects or specimens outside a
museum’s stated policy should only be made in exceptional
circumstances. Where this is an issue, the governing body
should consider the professional opinions available to them
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and the views of all interested parties. Consideration
should include the significance of the object or specimen,
including its context in the cultural or natural heritage, and
the special interests of other museums collecting such
material. However, even in these circumstances, objects
without a valid title should not be acquired.
Ownership
No object or specimen should be acquired, whether by
purchase, gift, loan, bequest or exchange, unless the
acquiring museum is satisfied that valid title of
ownership is held. Evidence of lawful ownership in a
country is not necessarily valid title. Every effort must,
therefore, be made before acquisition to ensure that the
object or specimen has not been illegally obtained in or
exported from, its country of origin or any intermediate
country in which it might have been owned legally
(including the museum’s own country). Due diligence in
this regard may be taken as establishing the full history
of the item from discovery or production.
Associated information
The context and associations of an object or specimen
are also important as this often provides information
which greatly enhances knowledge of the item. For this
and legal reasons, material resulting from unauthorised
or unscientific collecting, or the intentional destruction
or damage of monuments, archaeological or geological
sites, or species and natural habitats should not be
acquired. In the same way, acquisition should not occur
if there has been a failure to disclose the finds to the
owner or occupier of the land, or to the proper legal or
governmental authorities. Similarly biological or
geological specimens that have been collected, sold, or
otherwise transferred in contravention of local, national,
regional or international law or treaty relating to wildlife
protection or natural history conservation should not be
acquired.
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There will be instances where a museum may have to
act as an authorised repository for unprovenanced, illicitly
collected or recovered specimens and objects from the
territory over which it has lawful responsibility. It should
only do so with all necessary governmental authority.
Sensitive material
Care is necessary in acquiring certain objects or
specimens for which there may be particular sensitivities,
either culturally or biologically. Collections of human
remains and material of sacred significance should be
acquired only if they can be housed securely and cared
for respectfully in a manner consistent with professional
standards and the interests and beliefs, where known, of
members of the community, ethnic or religious groups
from which the objects originated.
Special considerations are also necessary for the natural
and social environment from which live botanical and
zoological specimens are derived as well as any local,
national, regional or international law, or treaty relating
to wildlife protection or natural history conservation.
Removing objects and specimens from museum
collections
The permanent nature of museum collections and the
dependence on private benefaction in forming
collections makes any removal of an item a serious
matter. For this reason many museums do not have legal
powers to dispose of specimens.
Where there are legal powers permitting disposals, the
removal of an object or specimen from a museum collection
must only be undertaken with a full understanding of the
significance of the item, its character (whether renewable or
non-renewable), legal standing, and any loss of public trust
that might result from such action. The decision to deaccession should be the responsibility of the governing body
acting in conjunction with the director of the museum and
the curator of the collection concerned.
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In the case of collections subject to conditions of
disposal, the legal or other requirements and procedures
must be complied with fully. Where the original
acquisition was subject to mandatory or other restrictions
these conditions must be observed unless it can clearly be
shown that adherence to such restrictions is impossible or
substantially detrimental to the institution. If appropriate,
relief should be obtained through legal procedures.
The museum’s policy on de-accessioning should define
the authorised methods for permanently removing an
object from the collections. This may be through
donation, transfer, exchange, sale, repatriation, or
destruction. It will allow the transfer of unrestricted title
to the receiving agency. Because museum collections are
held in public trust they may not be treated as a
realisable asset. Money or compensation received from
the de-accessioning and disposal of objects and
specimens from a museum collection should be used
solely for the benefit of the collection and usually for
acquisitions to that collection.
Complete records must be kept of all de-accessioning
decisions, the objects involved, and the disposition of the
object. There will be a strong presumption that a deaccessioned item should first be offered to another
museum.
Conflicts of interest
Special care is required in considering any item, either
for sale, as a donation or as a tax-benefit gift, from a
member of your governing body, a colleague, or the
families and close associates of these persons. Such
persons should not be permitted to purchase objects that
have been deaccessioned from a collection for which
they are responsible.
Museum policies should ensure that the collections
(both permanent and temporary) and associated
information, properly recorded, are available for current
usage and will be passed on to future generations in as
good and safe a condition as practicable, having regard
to current knowledge and resources. Professional
responsibilities involving the care of the collections
should be assigned to persons with the appropriate
knowledge and skill or who are adequately supervised.
Documentation of collections
The importance of the information associated with
museum collections requires that this should be
documented according to accepted professional
standards. This should include a full identification and
description of each item, its associations, provenance,
condition, treatment and present location. Such data
should be kept in a secure environment and be
supported with retrieval systems providing access to the
information by the museum personnel and other
legitimate users. The museum should avoid disclosing
sensitive personal or related information and other
confidential matters when collection data are made
available to the public.
Protection against disasters
The nature of museum collections demand that every
museum should develop policies to ensure the protection
of the collections during armed conflict and other manmade and natural disasters and emergencies.
Preventive conservation
Preventive conservation is an important element of
museum policy and collections care. It is an essential
responsibility of members of the museum profession to
create and maintain a protective environment for the
collections in their care, whether in store, on display or
in transit.
Conservation and restoration
The museum should carefully monitor the condition of
collections to determine when an object or specimen
may require conservation-restoration work and the
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services of a qualified conservator-restorer. The principle
goal should be the stabilisation of the object or
specimen. All conservation procedures should be
documented and as reversible as possible, and all
alterations should be clearly identifiable from the
original object or specimen.
Welfare of live animals
A museum that maintains living animals must assume full
responsibility for their health and well-being. It should
prepare and implement a safety code for the protection of
its personnel and visitors - as well as the animals - that has
been approved by an expert in the veterinary field.
Genetic modification should be clearly identifiable.
Personal use of museum collections
Museum personnel, the governing body, their families,
close associates, or others should not be permitted to
expropriate items from the museum collections, even
temporarily, for any personal use.
Interpreting and furthering knowledge –
accessibility
Primary evidence
Museums hold the primary evidence for a number of
subject disciplines. They have particular responsibilities
to all for the care, accessibility and interpretation of this
material held in their collections.
The museum collections policy should indicate clearly
the significance of collections as primary evidence. This
should verify that it is not governed by current
intellectual trends or museum usage.
Availability
Museums have a particular responsibility for making
collections and all relevant information available as freely
as possible, having regard to restraints arising for reasons
of confidentiality and security.
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Ethics – Case Study 3
You have been undertaking research on a topic to do with
your collections which will eventually provide the basis for
a major exhibition. Some of your findings provide new
evidence which is likely to attract considerable publicity for
the exhibition. Before you have had an opportunity to
publish your work or prepare the exhibition, a doctoral
student calls to study the same collections. What
information do you make available to her?
Field collecting
If museums undertake their own field collecting, they
should develop policies consistent with academic
standards and applicable national and international laws
and treaty obligations. Fieldwork should only be
undertaken with respect and consideration for the views
of local communities, their environmental resources and
cultural practices as well as efforts to enhance the
cultural and natural heritage.
Exceptional collecting of primary evidence
In very exceptional cases an item without provenance
may have such an inherently outstanding contribution
to knowledge that it would be in the public interest to
preserve. The acceptance of such an item into a museum
collection should be the subject of a decision by
specialists in the discipline concerned and without
national or international prejudice.
Research
Research on primary source material by museum
personnel should relate to the museum’s mission and
objectives and conform to established legal, ethical and
academic practices.
Occasionally research involves destructive analytical
techniques. These should be kept to a minimum. When
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undertaken, a complete record of the material analysed,
the outcome of the analysis, and the resulting research,
including publications, should become a part of the
permanent record of the object.
Research involving human remains and materials of
sacred significance must be accomplished in a manner
consistent with professional standards and take into
account the interests and beliefs of the community,
ethnic or religious groups from whom the objects
originated, where these are known.
Rights to research findings
When museum personnel prepare material for
presentation, or to document field investigation, there
must be clear agreement with the sponsoring museum
regarding all rights to the work.
Co-operation between institutions and personnel
Museum personnel should acknowledge and endorse the
need for co-operation and consultation between institutions
with similar interests and collecting practices. This is
particularly so with institutes of higher education and certain
public utilities where research may generate important
collections for which there is no long-term security.
Museum personnel also have an obligation to share
their knowledge and experience with colleagues, scholars
and students in relevant fields. They should respect and
acknowledge those from whom they have learned and
should pass on such advancements in techniques and
experience that may be of benefit to others.
Appreciating and promoting the natural and
cultural heritage
Museums have an important duty to develop their
educational role and attract wider audiences from the
community, locality, or group they serve. Interaction with
the constituent community and promotion of their heritage
is an integral part of the educational role of the museum.
Displays and exhibitions
Displays and temporary exhibitions, physical or
electronic, should be in accordance with the stated
mission, policy and purpose of the museum. They should
compromise neither the quality nor the proper care and
conservation of the collections.
The information presented in displays and exhibitions
should be well-founded, accurate and give appropriate
consideration to represented groups or beliefs.
Ethics – Case Study 4
A local collector has one of the finest private collections of
material relating to your subject, even though he holds
unorthodox views about it. You have fostered good relations
with him in the hope that your museum might benefit from
this. One day he offers to lend his collection for a temporary
exhibition at the museum’s expense, subject to two
conditions: that the exhibition only shows material from his
collection and that he must be responsible for all label and
publication content. Do you accept his offer?
The display of human remains and material of sacred
significance should be exhibited in a manner consistent
with professional standards and, where known, take into
account the interests and beliefs of members of the
community, ethnic or religious groups from whom the
objects originated. Such material must be presented with
great tact and respect for the feelings of human dignity
held by all peoples. Requests for removal from public
display of such material must be addressed expeditiously
with respect and sensitivity. Requests for the return of
such material should be addressed similarly. Museum
policies should clearly define the process for responding
to such requests.
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Display of unprovenanced material
Museums should avoid displaying or using material of
questionable origin or lacking provenance. They should
be aware that displays or usage of such material can be
seen to condone and contribute to the illicit trade in
cultural property.
Publication and reproductions
Information published by museums, by whatever means,
should be well-founded, accurate and give responsible
consideration to the academic disciplines, societies, or
beliefs presented. Museum publications should not
compromise the standards of the institution.
Museums should respect the integrity of the original
when replicas, reproductions, or copies of items from the
collection are made or used in display. All such copies
should be clearly labelled and permanently marked as
facsimiles.
Public service and public benefit
Museums use a wide variety of specialisms, skills and
physical resources which have a far wider application
than in the museum. This may lead to shared resources
or the provision of services as an extension of the
museum’s activities. They should be organised in such a
way that they do not compromise the museum’s stated
mission.
Identification of objects and specimens
Museums often provide an identification or opinion
service for the public. Care is necessary to ensure that the
museum or individual does not act in any way that could
be regarded as benefiting from such activity, directly or
indirectly. The identification and authentication of
objects that are believed or suspected to have been
illegally or illicitly acquired, transferred, imported or
exported should not be made public until the
appropriate authorities have been notified.
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Authentication and valuation (Appraisal)
Valuations of museums collections may be made for
insurance or indemnity purposes. Opinions on the
monetary value of other objects should only be given on
official request from other museums, or competent legal,
governmental or other responsible public authorities.
However, when the museum may be the beneficiary,
appraisal of an object or specimen must be undertaken
independently.
Working with communities
Museum collections reflect the cultural and natural
heritage of the communities from which they have been
derived. As such they have a character beyond that of
ordinary property which may include strong affinities
with national, regional, local, ethnic, religious or
political identity. It is important therefore that museum
policy is responsive to this.
Co-operation
Museums should promote the sharing of knowledge,
documentation and collections with museums and
cultural organisations in the countries and communities
from which they originate. The possibility of developing
partnerships with museums in countries or areas that have
lost a significant part of their heritage should be explored.
Return of cultural property
Museums should be prepared to initiate dialogues for the
return of cultural property to a country or people of
origin. This should be undertaken in an impartial
manner, based on scientific, professional and
humanitarian principles as well as applicable local,
national and international legislation, in preference to
action at a governmental or political level.
Restitution of cultural property
A country or people of origin may seek the restitution of
an object or specimen that can be demonstrated to have
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been exported or otherwise transferred in violation of the
principles of international and national conventions. If it
can be shown to be part of that country’s or people’s
cultural or natural heritage, the museum concerned
should, if legally free to do so, take prompt and
responsible steps to co-operate in its return.
Cultural objects from occupied countries
Museums should abstain from purchasing or acquiring
cultural objects from an occupied territory. They should
respect fully all laws and conventions that regulate the
import, export and transfer of cultural or natural materials.
Contemporary communities
Museum activities frequently involve a contemporary
community and its heritage. Acquisitions should only be
made based on informed and mutual consent without
exploitation of the owner or informants. Respect for the
wishes of the community involved should be paramount.
Use of collections from contemporary communities
requires respect for human dignity and the traditions and
cultures from which they are derived. Such collections
should be used to promote human well-being, social
development, tolerance, and respect by advocating multisocial, multi-cultural and multi-lingual expression.
Funding of community facilities
Care should be taken when seeking funds for activities
involving contemporary communities to ensure that
their interests will not be compromised by the
associations of potential sponsors.
Supporting organisations in the community
Museums should create a favourable environment for
community support (e.g. Friends of Museums and other
supporting organisations), recognise its contribution and
promote a harmonious relationship between the
community and museum personnel.
Legislation
Museums must conform fully to international, regional,
national or local legislation and treaty obligations in
force in their country. In addition, the governing body
should comply with any legally binding trusts or
conditions relating to any aspect of the museum, its
collections and operations.
National and local legislation
Museums must conform to all national and local laws.
They should also respect the legislation of other states as
they affect their operation.
International legislation
The ratification of international legislation varies
between different countries. Museum policy should,
however, acknowledge the following international
legislation which is taken as a standard in interpreting
the ICOM Code of Ethics:
Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property
in the Event of Armed Conflict (the Hague
Convention), 1954, Protocol [now First Protocol],
1954 and Second Protocol, 1999.
UNESCO Convention on the Means of
Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export
and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property
(1970);
Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (1973);
UN Convention on Biological Diversity (1992);
Unidroit Convention on Stolen and Illegally
Exported Cultural Objects (1995);
UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the
Underwater Cultural Heritage (2001);
UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003).
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Professionalism
Members of the museum profession should observe
accepted standards and laws and uphold the dignity and
honour of their profession. They should safeguard the
public against illegal or unethical conduct. Every
opportunity should be used to inform and educate the
public about the aims, purposes, and aspirations of the
profession to develop a better public understanding of
the contributions of museums to society.
Familiarity with relevant legislation
Every member of the museum profession should be
conversant with relevant international, national and
local legislation and the conditions of their employment.
They should avoid situations that could be construed as
improper conduct.
Professional responsibility
Members of the museum profession have an obligation
to follow the policies and procedures of their employing
institution. However, they may properly object to
practices that are perceived to be damaging to a museum
or the profession and matters of professional ethics.
Professional conduct
Loyalty to colleagues and to the employing museum is an
important professional responsibility and must be based
on allegiance to fundamental ethical principles applicable
to the profession as a whole. They should comply with
the terms of the ICOM Code of Ethics and be aware of any
other codes or policies relevant to museum work.
Academic and scientific responsibilities
Members of the museum profession should promote the
investigation, preservation, and use of information
inherent in the collections. They should, therefore,
refrain from any activity or circumstance that might
result in the loss of such academic and scientific data.
Illicit traffic and market
Members of the museum profession should not support
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the illicit traffic or market in natural and cultural property,
directly or indirectly.
Confidentiality
Members of the museum profession must protect
confidential information obtained during their work.
Information about items brought to the museum for
identification is confidential and should not be
published or passed to any other institution or person
without specific authorisation from the owner. Details
about the security of the museum or of private
collections and locations visited during official duties
must be held in strict confidence.
Confidentiality is subject to a legal obligation to assist
the police or other proper authorities in investigating
possible stolen, illicitly acquired, or illegally transferred
property.
Personal independence
Members of a profession are entitled to a measure of
personal independence, but they must realise that no
private business or professional interest can be wholly
separated from their employing institution.
Professional relationships
Members of the museums profession form working
relationships with numerous other persons within and
outside the museum in which they are employed. They
are expected to render their professional services to
others efficiently and to a high standard.
Professional consultation
It is a professional responsibility to consult other
colleagues within or outside the museum when the
expertise available is insufficient in the museum to
ensure good decision-making.
Gifts, favours, loans or other personal benefits
Museum employees must not accept gifts, favours, loans,
or other personal benefits that may be offered to them in
connection with their duties for the museum.
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Occasionally, professional courtesy may include the
giving and receiving of gifts but this should always take
place in the name of the institution concerned.
Outside employment or business interests
Members of the museum profession, although entitled
to a measure of personal independence, must realise that
no private business or professional interest can be wholly
separated from their employing institution. They should
not undertake other paid employment or accept outside
commissions that are in conflict with, or may be viewed
as being in conflict with the interests of the museum.
Ethics - Case Study 5
You are a specialist in your subject and your museum
encourages its staff to publish academic papers. A
commercial gallery, from which your museum occasionally
purchases well-documented material for the collections, is
now putting on a prestigious exhibition in your subject. The
director of the gallery has invited you to write an
authoritative introduction to the exhibition catalogue. When
you see the list of items included in the exhibition, some
have no provenance and you suspect they may have been
obtained illegally. Do you accept the invitation?
Dealing in natural or cultural heritage
Members of the museum profession should not
participate directly or indirectly in dealing (buying or
selling for profit), in the natural or cultural heritage.
Interaction with Dealers
Museum professionals should not accept any gift,
hospitality, or any form of reward from a dealer,
auctioneer, or other person as an inducement to purchase
or dispose of museum items, or to take or refrain from
taking official action. Furthermore, a museum
professional should not recommend a particular dealer,
auctioneer, or appraiser to a member of the public.
Private collecting
Members of the museum profession should not compete
with their institution either in the acquisition of objects
or in any personal collecting activity. If a museum
professional engages in any private collecting, an
agreement between the museum professional and the
governing body concerning this must be formulated and
scrupulously followed.
Other conflicts of interest
Should any other conflict of interest develop between an
individual and the museum, the interests of the museum
should prevail.
Use of the name and logo of ICOM
It should also be noted that members of ICOM may not
use of the words “International Council of Museums”,
“ICOM” or its logo to promote or endorse any for-profit
operation or product.
Summary
Museums have an active and multiple role in society.
Through a diversity of provision there is a common
purpose. This is the preservation of society’s collective
memory as expressed tangibly and intangibly through the
cultural and natural heritage. To do this, however, is
meaningless unless it is associated with access to and the
interpretation of that memory. Museums provide
therefore for the sharing, appreciation and understanding
of our inheritance.
Those responsible for providing museums and those
who engage in providing all aspects of the museum
service undertake a public responsibility. This should
condition their behaviour, particularly as that
responsibility is not necessarily contained within
administrative or political boundaries or those of
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academic disciplines. The ICOM Code of Ethics
provides minimum standards that may be regarded as a
reasonable public expectation and against which
museum practitioners can assess their performance.
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Collections Management
Nicola Ladkin
Adjunct Professor, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
Just as museum management is vitally important for the
development and organization of each museum, so is
collections management vital to the development,
organization and preservation of the collections that
each museum curates. Although museum collections
may be very different from one another in content, they
share other similar characteristics. They all contain large
numbers of individual items, many different kinds of
objects, specimens, artworks, documents, and artefacts,
and all are representative of the “natural, cultural, and
scientific heritage” (ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums,
2004). Specifically, many museum collections are large
and complicated. This chapter is an introduction to best
professional practice in developing, organising and
preserving collections, with the aim of ensuring that the
collections are managed and cared for properly.
Collections management is the term applied to the
various legal, ethical, technical, and practical methods by
which museum collections are assembled, organized,
researched, interpreted, and preserved. Collections
management focuses on the care of collections with
concern for their long-term physical well-being and
safety. It is concerned with issues of preservation, use of
collections, and record keeping, as well as how the
collections support the museum’s mission and purpose.
The term collections management also is used to
describe the specific activities undertaken in the
management process.
Managing collections effectively is critical to ensuring
that the collections support the museum’s mission. This
also is vital in order to make the most of the alwayslimited resources of time, money, equipment, materials,
physical space, and staff. Equally, collections
management needs to be based upon clearly defined
policy and procedures that guide every-day decisionmaking and activities.
Introducing Collections Management
Box 1: The three key inter-related elements of
collections management:
Registration of collections provides baseline institutional
accountability for the many and various objects, artefacts,
specimens, samples, and documents that the museum
holds in trust for current and future generations of humanity.
Preservation of collections is an important, active aspect of
collections management that underlies all other museum
activities.
Providing controlled access to collections through exhibit
or research fulfils the museum’s mission to educate and
interpret while protecting collections at the same time.
Addressing registration, preservation and access issues in
writing can also be used to provide a framework for the
collections management policy.
Collections Management Policy
In order for collections management to function
successfully, decisions about the museum’s collections
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must always be made after careful consideration and in a
consistent way. Good decision-making is founded on
good policy. For this reason, the most important
museum collections document is the Collections
Management Policy. Building on the museum’s mission
statement and other key policy documents, the
museum’s overall purpose and goals are met by
collection, research and preservation of its collection.
Once written, the collections management policy serves
as both a practical guide for the museum’s staff, and as a
public document explaining how the museum takes
responsibility for the collections in its care.
The Collections Management Policy is considered to
be such an important document that it has its own
section in the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums,
which states that the governing body for each museum
should adopt and publish a written collections policy
that addresses the acquisition, care, and use of
collections. Thus, having a collections management
policy is considered to be a professional, ethical
responsibility.
Developing a collections management policy
Before you begin to develop a collection management
policy statement, several factors should be addressed and
incorporated. Developing and drafting the policy is an
opportunity to review and set down the museum’s goals
and how they are achieved if this has not already been
done, and all staff members should be invited to
contribute at this stage. The policy must be clearly
written so it can be a useful guide to staff and the public.
It must address the needs of the collections in relation to
the overall goals of the museum. Also, it should include
provisions for periodic review and updating.
The collections management policy may address a wide
range of collections management subjects that can be
chosen and written specifically to fit the needs of your
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museum. However, certain key subjects should be
addressed. As already stated in Box 1 above, these subjects
can be grouped under the headings of registration,
preservation of collections, and access to collections.
Box 2, which follows, contains a suggested outline for
a Collections Management Policy for a typical
collections-based museum. Most of the subjects listed
are discussed in detail later in this chapter and a number
of points that can be included under each subject in your
collections management policy and procedure
documents are provided. These comments address the
basic and more general points, but you will want to
include whatever additional information as is necessary
and useful for the circumstances of your museum and its
particular collections.
The importance of the museum having a clearly
defined mission and purpose, and of adhering to a
recognised Code of Ethics are both stressed in other
earlier chapters. These are of course vitally important
documents from a collections management perspective
as they directly influence the composition of collections
and affect their management and use. The collections
management policy, along with related key policy
statements such as documentation, preventive
conservation, and disaster preparedness may exist as
separate documents or be included as major sections in
the general policy documentation of the institution,
depending on the preference of the museum.
The ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums can provide
direct assistance with developing the collections
management policy. Section Two, entitled “Museums
that maintain collections hold them in trust for the
benefit of society and its development”, directly
addresses the critical elements of collections
management, and reference to it throughout the drafting
process will provide much helpful guidance.
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Box 2: Drafting a Collections Management Policy: Suggested Table of Contents
Museum Mission and Purpose
Code of Ethics
Registration
Acquisitions and accessioning
Valid title, provenance, and due diligence
Sensitive and protected materials
Appraisals and authentications
Deaccessioning and disposals
Return and restitution
Cataloguing, numbering, and marking
Inventory
Loans
Condition reporting and glossary/standards
Documentation
Preservation of Collections
Collections storage
Collections handling and moving
Photography
Disaster Preparedness
Insurance
Access to Collections
Security
Exhibitions
Controlled environment
Monitoring collections on exhibit
Suitable exhibit materials
Packing and shipping
Research
Field Collecting
In-house
Visiting scholars and researchers
Destructive analysis
Personal collecting and personal use of collections
Preventive Conservation
Conservation
Exercise 1: Examine this suggested collections management policy table of contents in the box above. What subjects are
relevant for use in your museum? Are there any subjects that are irrelevant? What is special about your museum that
would require the addition of other subjects? What would these subjects be? Summarise your conclusions and use these
as the outline for the collections management policy for your museum.
Collections management procedures
Collections management procedures are the various
activities by which collections management policies are
converted into specific management actions. Procedures
are most useful and provide consistency of action when
formalized into a written document. Procedures are
needed to implement all areas of policy. Subjects for
written procedures most usefully will mirror the subjects
that are addressed in the collections management policy.
As with the collections management policy, procedures
can be written specifically for and customized to fit the
needs of your museum.
Registration
Museum registration is concerned with the policies and
procedure by which collections are acquired and
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formally entered into the register of the holding of the
museum, and how they are managed, tracked, and
sometimes even disposed of after that point.
Acquisition and Accessioning
These are the methods by which a museum obtains its
collections. The most common methods are gift, bequest,
and purchase. exchange, field collection, and any other
means by which title (ownership) is transferred to the
museum. It is very important that criteria are established
to determine what is collected. All objects and collections
acquired must have good title, must support the goals of
the museum and be free from conditions or restrictions
on their use. The museum also must be able to provide
for their long-term care and preservation.
Suggestions for Acquisition Policy (see also the
Ethics chapter)
Acquisition is the process of obtaining on object or
collection for the museum. Objects can be acquired in
many different ways, such as from fieldwork, as a donation
or bequest, or as a transfer from another institution.
Irrespective of how a collection is acquired, there are ethical
and legal components to acquisition that must be
addressed. From an ethical perspective, the ICOM Code of
Ethics for Museums specifies that museums should adopt a
written collections management policy that addresses
ethical aspects of acquisition. The acquisition policy should
address such concerns as relevance of the collection to the
museums mission, completeness of its associated
documentation, and special requirements for culturally and
scientifically sensitive materials. Legally, the acquisition
policy should state that acquisitions must not violate any
local, state, national, and international laws and treaties.
Suggestions for Acquisition Procedure (see also the
Documentation chapter)
Accessioning is the formal acceptance of an object or
collection, recording it into the register of a museum,
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and incorporating it into the museum’s collections.
Accessioning is initiated by receipt of documents that
transfer title. Usually only objects that are acquired for
the permanent collections are accessioned, in contrast to
other objects the museum may obtain for use as exhibit
props, in educational programmes and other expendable
or programme support purposes.
The accession procedure begins with assigning a unique
identifying number to an object or collection as it is
entered into the museum’s register. Under a commonly
found system this number typically consists of an acronym
for the museum, the current year date, followed by the
consecutive number in order of which the collection was
received, all separated by a dot or a dash. For example, the
twentieth accession in 2004 at the National Archaeological
Museum would have the accession number NAM-200420. All objects and documents relating to the accession are
gathered together and are marked with the accession
number for that particular accession. For more information
on numbering and marking see the section below.
Documenting museum collections is a vital part of
collections management. Registration records are the first
produced when a collection enters the museum. Accession
files contain all of the documents relating to each
accession. Organisation and titling of files may vary
depending on how the museum itself is organised and
whether it uses paper, electronic, or both types of records
and files. Whatever system is used, accession records are
highly important legal, administrative and curatorial
documents which will contain information on the donor
or source of collections, evidence of legal title, insurance
valuation information, condition reports, an inventory for
accessions containing more than one object, photography,
insurance, and any other relevant documents. For more
details of accessioning and other documentation
procedures see the Documentation chapter.
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Deaccessioning and Disposals (see also the Ethics
chapter).
Deaccessioning is the process of permanently removing
objects from the museum register and collections. It is
carried out for a variety of reasons, from refining the focus
of the collection, to repatriation of objects, to removal of
unsalvageable, deteriorated, infested objects. Because
museums fulfil a public trust, deaccessioning can be
controversial. Many museums are prohibited from
deaccessioning by national laws or in their own governing
charter or institutional policies. However, every museum
should have a process for deciding on and recording legally
permissible disposals.
Disposal is the act of physically removing deaccessioned
collections objects from the museum and relocating them
elsewhere. Depending on applicable law, disposal options may
include transfer to another museum or similar institution for
educational purposes, physical destruction of deteriorated
objects, and restitution to another group or people.
Cataloguing, numbering, and marking
Cataloguing is the process of identifying in descriptive
detail each collections object and assigning it a unique
identifying number. All objects in the permanent
collections should be catalogued.
Catalogue information should include descriptive details,
classification or other identification, physical dimensions,
provenance (origin and history of the object in terms of
location of find, previous ownership, and means of
acquisition), the accession number, and storage location.
The catalogue entry may also include a photograph or
sketch, and any other additional applicable information.
Numbering and marking of objects in the
collection
Numbering and marking collections is the process of
associating a unique identifying number with a
collections object and marking or labelling the object
Box 3: Possible Contents of a Deaccessioning and
Disposal Policy
1 A statement on how deaccessions and disposals are evaluated.
2 The authority to approve deaccessions is assigned to a particular committee
or group.
3 Suggestions for Deaccessioning and Disposal Procedure.
4 Actions to deaccession and dispose of an object or collection is based on
the policy as defined in the written Collections Management Policy of the
museum.
5 Reasons for deaccessioning and disposal are made part of the collections
records and are retained by the curatorial facility.
6 When, where, by whom, and under what authority deaccessioning and
disposal is carried out is identified.
7 Deaccession records include written evaluation and justification for
deaccession, date of deaccession, inventory of objects/collections
deaccessioned, and method of disposal.
8 All records are kept permanently but are marked as “Deaccessioned”.
Box 4: Outline policy statement for Cataloging
Procedure
1 Objects are catalogued to make a record of their physical attributes and
provenance (see also the Documentation chapter, particularly the summary
of the international “Object I.D.” system of object description).
2 Identifying catalogue numbers are assigned and applied to all objects.
3 If the museum conducts, or is associated with, archaeological excavations
and similar fieldwork, every effort should be made to integrate the field
recording with the permanent cataloguing, e.g. by using the museum’s
accession numbering and cataloguing systems.
4 Objects are always catalogued before they are allowed to leave the museum
on loan.
5 Cataloguing is carried out as soon as possible to avoid backlog.
6 Where, nevertheless, there is a backlog of accessioning and cataloguing,
the museum should develop and implement a plan for bringing the
cataloguing up to an acceptable standard as quickly as possible.
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with that number. The number may be an accession
number or a catalogue number. It is done so that objects
can uniquely be identified.
The marking method must be permanent so that the
number does not wear off, yet be reversible so that it can
be removed if necessary. This is achieved on smooth
surfaced objects by applying a basecoat of stable material
such as polyvinyl acetate solution, writing the number
on top of the basecoat, and sealing the number with a
topcoat after it is dry. Position the number in a place
where it will not obscure detail or impede research or
exhibit viewing. Never mark the number directly on the
surface of any object.
Textiles and other objects that cannot be marked directly
can be labelled with hanging tags or sewn labels. Framed
two dimensional objects can have hanging tags attached to
their hooks or wires. Tags or labels must be made from
archival materials and be attached in such a way that they
do not damage the object. Care must be taken that tags do
not become disassociated from their objects.
Some very small and fragile objects such as coins,
jewellery, and natural history specimens such as insects
cannot be marked directly or have labels attached to
them. Such objects should be placed in a container such
as a sleeve, envelope, tray, box, vial, or bag made from
archival material (see the section on collections storage in
this chapter). A number can then be marked directly on
the container, or on a label that can be placed inside the
container with the object. A label inside the container
should be marked with pencil rather than ink to prevent
accidental transfer of the ink.
Unframed two-dimensional objects, photographs,
books, and documents can be placed in boxes, folders, or
between paper or board. A number can then be written
in pencil on the enclosing material.
Some museums are using bar code technology to mark
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objects, usually in conjunction with the accession or
catalogue number. This greatly assists in inventory
procedures. The technology that produces the number
and the label obviously is different, but the basic
principles and procedures discussed above are the same
when marking and labelling with bar codes.
Loans
Loans are the temporary removal or reassignment of an
object or collection from its normal ownership or location.
An incoming loan is borrowed by the museum from a
lender – its owner or other normal holder, which can be
another museum or an individual. It involves a change of
location of objects and collections but not of title (legal
ownership). An outgoing loan is the opposite: it involves
lending out to another museum’s collections. Again there is
a change of location, but not of title. Many museum laws
or regulations prohibit outward loans to individuals or
private corporations, and even without formal restrictions
are usually discouraged because an individual may not be
able to care for and keep an item from a collection safe. On
the other hand loans to other public or educational
institutions allow museums to share their collections and
enhance and support exhibitions and research projects that
fulfil their educational goals. Unfortunately, experience
shows that loans place extra physical stress on objects due to
their being packed, shipped and handled more than usual,
and also increase the security and other risks. For these
reasons it is very important that requests for loans are
considered carefully. In particular only objects that an
experienced specialist conservator/restorer consider to be
stable and not at significant risk from additional handling
and transportation etc. should be loaned.
Experience shows that disputes can occur over loan
arrangements and terms, so it is very important that loans are
fully documented so that both borrower and lender
understand in detail all the conditions of the loan. Records
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of loans also must be tracked so that these can be closed
when the object is returned: this is achieved through the use
of a standardized loan document. The agreements and other
documentation for both outward and inward loans should be
assigned a unique loan number. In the case of inward loans
this loan number can be processed and treated in very much
the same way as an accession number while the object is in
the museum. All documentation concerning both inward
and outward past loans should be retained permanently in
the case of outward loans from the collection, and for an
extended period of time (at least ten years) if not
permanently in the case of loans to the museum.
Condition Reports
The Condition Report is a document composed of a
written and visual description of an object’s appearance,
state of preservation, and any defects, at a particular point
in time. The first condition report should be made when
an object is accessioned (or received on loan). It then is
updated each time the object is involved in any activity,
such as inclusion in an exhibition or display or before and
after an outward loan. By doing this, any damage that has
occurred will immediately be noticed. The condition
report also should be updated after any accidental damage
and before conservation treatment is carried out.
The most useful format for a condition report is a
standardized document that prompts staff to collect the
same information each time the report is made. A
glossary of descriptive terms is also very useful for this
purpose. If a specific technical term is not known, a
detailed description of what is observed is helpful.
Examine the object in a clean, well-lit area. A flashlight
and magnifying glass will help to show small details.
Carefully inspect all areas of the object, but do not force
open anything that may be closed or folded. Make a
written record of what is observed and photograph or
sketch anything unusual and any evidence of damage.
Box 5: Loans – policies and procedures
Outline Policy Statement on Loans
1 Loans are for the purpose of research, education, exhibition, conservation,
or inspection
2 Loans are for a specified period of time, though they may be renewed or
extended by mutual agreement
3 Loan documents should state any special requirements for the loan
4 Outgoing loans are made only to appropriate institutions
5 Incoming loans may be borrowed from institutions and individuals.
6 Responsibility for the insurance (or indemnity in lieu of insurance) of both
inward and outward loans must be clearly specified in all loan agreements.
7 Loans cannot be made from collections that are not accessioned
8 Loans are not made for commercial purposes
Suggestions for Loan Procedure
1 The decision to borrow or lend an object/collection is based on the policy as
defined in the written Collections Management Policy of the curatorial facility.
2 A complete loan record includes:
a a loan number for tracking purposes
b a start date for the loan
c an end date for the loan
d the purpose of loan
e the detailed inventory of loaned objects
f insurance value of loan
g agreed method of shipment
h approval of loan by an authorised person, persons or bodies (e.g. Director,
Board, Government Export Licensing body)
i any special conditions, such as exhibit requirements, special handling or
packing instructions
3 Loan due dates are tracked and extended, recalled or returned as
appropriate at the end of the loan period.
The report should include the object’s accession or
catalogue number, composition, type, location, and
extent of damage, previous repairs, name of examiner
and date of examination.
Documentation
Documentation is a crucial part of collections
management overall but is dealt with in a special chapter,
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which includes detailed advice on documentation policy
and procedures.
Preservation of collections
Collections Storage
Collections storage refers to the physical space where
collections are housed when not on exhibition or being
researched. The term is also used to describe the various
kinds of furniture, equipment, methods and materials
that are used in the spaces used for the museum’s storage
and study collections. Many collections spend the major
part of their time in storage. Collection storage areas
protect objects against harmful factors in the
environment, accidents, disasters, and theft, and
preserve them for the future. For these reasons,
collections storage is not dead space where nothing
happens, but is space where preservation of collections
actively occurs.
The museum building provides the first layer of
protection between the outside environment and the
collections. Collections storage areas should be located
internally within the building and away from external
walls if possible, to minimize environmental fluctuation.
Collections storage should be separate from all other
activities, and only collections storage should happen
within its walls so that its physical environment can best
be controlled. It should have low light levels, stable
temperature and relative humidity, and be free from
atmospheric pollutants and pests. Physical access should
be restricted to collections personnel so that it is kept
secure, and fire protection should be installed.
Since the collections typically spend so much of their
time in storage, it is necessary for all furniture and
packaging materials that come into contact with them to
be stable and non-reactive. Archival quality storage
furniture includes cabinets and shelves made from
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powder-coated steel or baked enamel steel. Small, stable
objects are wrapped, bagged, or boxed before being
placed in storage to provide a protective buffer between
the object and the environment. Objects that cannot be
wrapped due to their size or fragile composition
preferably are stored in enclosed cabinets or shelves.
Space is allowed between objects to allow for handling for
retrieval. Do not crowd or overload shelves and drawers,
as this will make it difficult to retrieve objects safely.
There are many different kinds of stable, archival
materials that protect objects and not cause them to
deteriorate. These materials usually cost more than
ordinary boxes and papers, but the protective benefits
they provide outweigh the additional costs.
Recommended storage materials include: acid-free,
lignin-free tags, labels, papers, folders, envelopes, boards,
boxes, and tubes that are calcium carbonate buffered
cotton, linen, and polyester fabrics, tapes, cords, and
threads; polyester batting and films; polyethylene and
polypropylene bags, microfoam boxes, and boards;
cellulose adhesive; polyvinyl acetate and acetone adhesive;
and glass jars and vials with polypropylene or
polyethylene caps. A wide range of patented synthetic
materials is widely used in museum storage, such as
Tyvek™, Mylar™, and Marvelseal™. Within the broad
range of materials available, something suitable can be
found to store every type of museum collections. Many of
the materials can be used to custom design and construct
special boxes, trays, files, supports and mounts to support
and protect particular specimens or works of art.
It is however important to avoid materials that are
chemically unstable and which may therefore interact
chemically with the objects they are in contact with and
cause damage. These include wood and wood products,
particularly acidic paper and cardboard, cellophane and
masking tapes, adhesive tapes, foam rubber and urethane
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Protective storage: fragile objects individually supported on padded
shelves in enclosed cabinet.
Moving collections: fragile collections are safely moved in individual
supports on a padded cart
foam, most plastics, nail polish, metal paper clips and
staples, rubber bands and rubber-based glues. If unstable
materials such as wood shelving have to be used, a stable
barrier material such as acid-free board can be placed
between the shelf and the objects.
Handling and moving collections
Collections are at increased risk of damage while they are
being handled and moved. However, there has to be a
balance between protection and preservation since it
would be very hard to study, exhibit or otherwise use
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museum specimens and collections if they cannot be
handled at all. To prevent damage it is essential to be very
careful and use common sense when handling objects of
any size and type. Some very simple precautions can
much reduce this risk. All objects should be handled as if
they are the most valuable, and hands must be clean or
protected by clean cotton or nitride gloves. When
moving items, determine where an object will be put
down before it is picked up, and plan the route to be
taken ahead of time to be sure it is free from obstructions.
Carry one object at a time, or place objects on a padded
tray or cart if many need to be moved over any distance.
Allow plenty of time and get help if the object is too large
or heavy to be easily moved by one person. Never risk
your own safety, or the safety of the object.
Photography
Photography is an integral and specialized part of the
documentation of museum collections. A photograph is
not only a visual record of an object but also aids in
research, education, and retrieval of an object if it is
misplaced and as evidence in support of an insurance
claim if something is lost or stolen. A photograph also
documents the condition of an object at a particular point
in time so that future comparisons can be made. For this
reason high quality photography is essential. Though
large format photographs (6cm x 6cm negatives or larger)
used to be the museum standard, and many older
museums have large archives of both glass plate and film
negatives of their collections, with the great
improvements in both lenses and film over the past 20 or
30 years nowadays 35mm black and white photography is
the preferred medium for documentation purposes. Black
and white film is much more stable over the long-term
than colour film, can be used with a wide range of special
filters which can enhance key features of the object in the
resulting photograph, and can be processed in house.
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However, digital photography is increasing in popularity
and decreasing in cost, and high quality photographs can
now be printed very quickly on what are now extremely
cheap inkjet colour printers. On the other hand the
longevity of digital images for museum purposes has yet
to be evaluated: certainly any digital images should be
transferred immediately from the camera’s memory to a
computer hard disk, with regular back-ups onto an
external medium outside the museum (e.g. a remote
computer system or CD-ROMs security stored away from
the museum). Whatever the format, the photographs
produced must be cross-referenced with the object’s
accession number and be organized in such a way that
they can be easily retrieved and associated with the object.
Objects should be photographed as part of the
accessioning procedure. Two-dimensional framed objects
should be photographed upright and can be placed on an
easel or on padded blocks and propped against a wall if
they are very large. The lens of the camera must be
parallel to the face of the object, and the objects should
fill as much of the viewfinder as possible. A twodimensional object that does not have a rigid support
should be laid flat with the camera positioned above it in
order to take the photograph. This is most easily achieved
with the use of a copy stand, but a tripod also can be used
if it can be tilted against a table in such a way that the lens
is parallel to the face of the object. Three-dimensional
objects require a background with a smooth surface that
contrasts with the object but does not distract from it.
Small objects can be placed on a sturdy table, and large
ones can be placed on the floor on a clean, padded
surface. It may be necessary to take several photographs
from different angles in order to completely record an
asymmetrical object. Special lighting may also be
necessary, and if so, lights should be placed where they
best show the shape, texture, and contours of the object.
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Insurance
Insurance of collections is generally regarded as an
integral part of risk management, which is a term used to
describe the process of reducing the likelihood of damage
or loss of collections by eliminating or at least minimising
hazards. Insurance is not a substitute for poor collections
management and security, and unique objects and
collections are irreplaceable, but it can provide some
monetary compensation in the unhappy event of damage
or loss of objects and collections. Where insurance is
permitted (see below), the aim of the insurance that is
purchased is to provide sufficient monetary
compensation to repair or replace the collections in the
event of their damage or loss. Insurance varies greatly in
terms of what can be insured and against what risk, where
and under what circumstances the insurance applies, and
how claims are handled. Collections therefore need to be
valued with respect to their replacement cost or other
monetary value on a regular basis so that the museum has
an up-to-date schedule of insurance values. (Under most
insurance contracts if the collections are undervalued
overall the insurer will only be liable to pay the equivalent
percentage of any claim. For example, if the collections
are insured by the museum for only 50% of their true
market value the insurer would pay only half of any claim
for loss or restoration of damage relating to perhaps a
single object.) Insurance or other valuation records must
be kept up to date and, of course, under secure
conditions with limited access.
However, policy and practice in relation to the use of
insurance differs greatly from country to country and
indeed museum to museum within the same country. In
most countries the policy seems to be that the collections
of State-owned national museums are not insured, and it
is common for a Government Indemnity to be offered in
place of insurance to owners of both temporary and
long-term loans to national museums, and perhaps other
public museums. Where the use of commercial
insurance is permitted, the museum must evaluate its
insurance requirements carefully. An independent
specialist fine arts insurance agent (usually known as an
“insurance broker”) is likely to be able determine the
insurance best suited to the requirements and will obtain
competitive quotations from a range of different
insurance companies.
Conservation of the collections
Preventive conservation is the subject of another chapter,
but it is vital to stress here that this is a very important
aspect of collections management. It has to underlie
every aspect of museum policy and operations and must
be seen as the responsibility of every staff member on an
ongoing basis. Also, collections must be monitored on a
regular basis to determine when an object or collection
needs the attention of a conservator.
Preparing for Disasters
Disaster preparedness and response are also very
important parts of the overall collections management
responsibilities, but this is discussed in detail in the
Museum Security chapter.
It should however be stressed here that the aim should be
to ensure that preparing prevents as far as possible
emergency situations, whether due to natural disasters,
civil emergencies such as fire, or the effects of armed
conflict, but does not lead to the loss of or serious damage
to the museum collections. Necessary preparedness
measures include risk assessment, good planning and
design of buildings, furniture, equipment and systems and
effective routine building and systems inspections and
preventive maintenance. Effective emergency preparedness
should be based on a written plan that is tested and
evaluated at least once a year, and which addresses measures
to be taken before, during, and after any emergency.
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Public access to collections
Security
Security is discussed in detail in the Museum Security
chapter. However, physical access to collections is an
element of security that needs to be addressed in the
collections management policy.
Box 6: Security Issues to be covered in the Collections
Management Policy
1 Physical access to the collections, even for staff, is restricted by locked,
secured location and controlled entry
2 The collections staff responsible for a particular subject, collection or
storage area will supervise access by both other staff and by visitors
3 Records of staff having key access are to be kept
4 Records to be kept of all visitors allowed into storage and other secure
areas of the museum.
5 Research access is on the basis of the approved research design, and all
visits are similarly recorded, appropriately at the end of the loan period.
Display and Exhibition Galleries and Rooms
There are several different types of museum exhibitions.
They may be short or long-term exhibits of objects from
the museums collections, exhibits containing objects on
loan from other institutions, or travelling exhibits. Other
than visiting or other temporary exhibitions they all
contain items from the museum collections, so the
approved collections management procedures apply to
objects in the exhibition galleries in the same way as to
objects in storage areas.
Transferring objects from the secure storage areas into
the exhibition galleries exposes collections to a variety of
additional threats. Security threats include theft,
vandalism, and unauthorised handling, while common
conservation threats include shock and vibration,
harmful exhibit mounts and supports, atmospheric
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pollutants, environmental fluctuation, light, pests, and
other natural factors. The control of visible light, ultra
violet light, temperature and relative humidity, and
atmospheric pollutants to recommended safe levels (see
the Conservation chapter) presents a particular problem.
Large numbers of visitors will introduce body heat,
humidity and pollution to the galleries, while lighting
that is bright enough to enable the exhibits to be viewed
comfortably may cause long-term damage to items that
are particularly light-sensitive, such as textiles, costumes,
watercolour paintings and drawings.
Good exhibit design and fabrication, security, and use of
suitable materials also will contribute to a controlled
environment and protection of collections. How to achieve
a controlled environment is discussed in a later chapter.
Monitoring collections on exhibition
Exhibit galleries should be inspected on a regular basis for
any evidence of damage to or loss of objects on exhibit.
Environmental control is achieved in a variety of ways with
a variety of mechanical and manual systems, so exhibit
galleries must be monitored to ensure that environmental
controls are operating effectively. How to monitor the
environment is discussed in detail in a later chapter.
Suitable exhibit materials.
The materials that are safe to use in collections storage
are also safe to use in exhibit fabrication and
presentation. Many materials used in exhibit fabrication
are not archival in composition but are commonly used
due to their other desirable characteristics and low cost.
In such situations, archival barrier materials can be used
between the reactive material and the collections object.
Packing and shipping
As part of exhibit production sometimes it is necessary to
pack and ship museum collections to other institutions.
This activity is even more risky than handling and moving
collections and so the decision to do this must be made
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after very careful consideration. Packaging and shipping
methods are chosen based on the individual requirements
of the objects being shipped, and only stable objects
should be shipped because of the increased risk of
damage. Packaging materials protect the objects from all
reasonably anticipated risks associated with a particular
shipping method. Suitable packing materials are the same
as those used for storage of collections. Although urethane
foam is not archival, it often is used in packing objects
because of its excellent cushioning properties. Clean
cushioning material is used based on the individual needs
of the objects but the packing materials that have direct
contact with the objects should be archival.
The shipping method chosen should provide the best
protection for the objects and shortest en route time.
Common shipping methods for museum objects are by
road and by air. Rail shipment is used less frequently due
to the increased shock and vibration associated with this
method. Shipping by sea sometimes is used for very large
and stable objects, but transit time often is very lengthy
and it can be difficult to provide long-term climatecontrol in a shipping container. Transportation companies
that have experience with transporting museum
collections can provide valuable assistance in planning to
ship museum collections.
Suggestions for Shipping Policy
Objects are carefully evaluated for stability before they
are shipped. Only those that are stable may be shipped.
Who has the authority to make the decision on shipping
is identified.
Suggestions for Shipping Procedure
The shipping method is based on the needs of the object,
the distance to be shipped, and projected en route time.
Packing materials to be used are based on the type of
shipping method chosen and needs of the object.
Research of collections
Research
Research on museum collections and publication of the
findings provides a particular type of access to the
collections, and allows museums to address their
education and interpretation mission. It makes specialized
information available to various interested parties and
provides the basis for exhibitions and educational
programming. It is very important that all museum
research is legal, ethical, in accordance with academic
standards, and supports the mission of the museum.
Field Collecting
When museums undertake field collecting it must be done
in accordance with all laws and treaties, and must adhere to
accepted academic standards. It also must be considerate of
local populations and their needs and wishes.
In-house Research
Research by museum staff should relate to the museum’s
mission and scope. The research should conform to
accepted academic standards. Research by museum
personnel must take place within the museum. Staff
should not be permitted to remove collections objects,
even temporarily, from the museum for any purposes.
Visiting Scholars
Museums should have written policies for security, access
to, and handling of collections by visiting scholars and
researchers. Museums should promote in-house use of
their collections by visiting scholars and researchers
while providing for the security, protection, and safe
handling of those collections during the research.
Destructive Analysis
Sometimes destructive analysis techniques are required
to further research investigations. These must be
undertaken only after careful consideration. Submission
of a research proposal to the museum for evaluation
should be required. The museum does not give up title,
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nor is the object deaccessioned, and unused portions of
objects are returned to the museum. Information gained
substitutes for the altered or destroyed object.
Suggestions for Research Policy
Scholarly research is vital to the museum’s educational
and public service mission. Therefore, staff of the
museum is free to choose the subject of research, initiate
and conduct the research, seek the necessary resources to
conduct the research, and disseminate the results of the
research in an appropriate manner.
All research supports the mission of the museum.
Personal Collecting
Museum staff members often have personal collections as
a result of their own particular interest and activities.
However, as the ICOM Code of Ethics makes clear, staff
should not compete with their institutions over
acquisition of objects or personally collect the same types
of objects that their museum does, because it would be a
conflict of interest for a staff member to use their own
specialized knowledge for personal benefit and not for the
benefit of their museum. Any permissible departure from
this restriction must be discussed with the governing body
of the museum.
Conclusion
Assembling collections is one of the primary functions of a
museum, and the objects that comprise the collections become
amongst the most important assets of the museum.
Preservation, care, and management of the collections fulfil
the public trust responsibilities of the museum, and thus help
to achieve the museum’s mission. Good collections
management is one of the strategies by which preservation and
care is achieved. Adopting and implementing the collections
management policies and practice recommended in this
chapter will provide a firm foundation for implementing all
various other strategies for running a museum.
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Inventories and Documentation
Andrew Roberts
Former Head of Information Resources, Museum of London
Introduction
Accurate and accessible documentation is an essential
resource for collections management, research and
public services. This chapter develops the concepts in the
Collections Management chapter, by providing practical
advice on documentation procedures, including
accessioning, inventory control and cataloguing. It
discusses manual and computer-based systems and Web
access to information. The guidelines are based on wellestablished standards.
Acquisitions, long-term loans and accessioning
The accessioning process supports the incorporation of
permanent acquisitions and long-term loans into the
museum collection (see the Collections Management
chapter) (Buck and Gilmore, 1998; Holm, 1998;
International Council of Museums. International
Committee for Documentation, 1993). This is a key
stage in the overall documentation of the collection,
recording the legal evidence for the ownership of the
items in the collection and providing the starting point
for the fuller cataloguing of individual items.
The museum should develop a framework where
proposed acquisitions and long-term loans are referred to
an internal committee for approval, rather than being
accepted by an individual member of staff. When the
museum becomes aware of an acquisition or loan, it
should start to develop a file with information about the
owner and the objects. This file should include a
summary sheet, with entries about the source, an outline
of the objects, their significance to the museum, the
proposed acquisition method (e.g. gift, purchase,
excavation), how the proposal conforms to the museum’s
collecting policy, the recommendations of the curator
and other specialist staff and the decision of the
committee. The outline of the objects should include an
authentication of their origin and an assessment of their
condition. If possible, the museum should produce a
photograph or digital image of the objects.
In the case of an acquisition, if this is approved, the
owner should be asked to sign a formal legal transfer of
ownership of the objects (a ‘transfer of title’). The signed
copy of this document should then be added to the file,
as an essential confirmation of the legal status of the
acquisition.
If the museum regularly receives groups of objects, it
can be more efficient to treat the overall group as a single
acquisition, rather than processing each item as an
acquisition. This typically applies within archaeology,
history and natural history collections. The overall
acquisition then has one file and an overall group
accession number. The individual objects within the
group can be given separate object numbers, which are
either subdivisions of the accession number or
independent of the accession number.
If the museum is going to be the repository for all the
finds from an excavation, it should discuss with the
excavator the possibility of the museum and the
excavator having a common numbering approach. It
may be possible for the museum to assign an accession
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Example of an accession register (reproduced from Holm, 1998, with
the permission of the MDA).
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number to the overall excavation, which is then used in
the field recording system from the start of the
excavation. This approach would enable the museum to
avoid the need to renumber and mark the individual
objects and would assist the incorporation of the
collection and the excavation records into the museum.
It will not be feasible in cases where some of the finds
from the excavation are retained by the excavator or
passed to a number of museums, where there will need
to be two numbering sequences.
In addition to the accession files, the museum should
maintain an accession register, with a checklist of all the
acquisitions. The register should ideally be a hardback
volume, with archival quality paper. It should have
columns for accession number, date, source, method,
brief description of the group, number of objects making
up the group and the name or initials of the museum
curator. This should be kept in a secure location, such as
a fire-proof safe. If possible, keep a copy of the register at
another location.
In the case of a long-term loan, the museum should
also record the reason for the loan and the duration of
the agreement. Many museums are reluctant to accept
long-term loans, unless the object is to be used in a
gallery display or for extended research, because of the
work involved in caring for objects. If the loan is
approved, it should be finalised in a written loan
agreement, which should then be kept on file. The loan
should be added to a separate loan number sequence.
Exercise: use the accessioning guidelines as the basis for
the design of an accession summary sheet, transfer of title
form and accession register.
Inventory control and cataloguing
The second stage in the museum’s documentation
system is the development and use of information about
the individual objects in the collection. The museum
should aim to establish records about each of the items
in the collection and continue to extend these records as
the objects are examined and used. The records can be
used as the basis for research, public access, display,
education, collection development, collections
management and security.
In order to support this range of uses, the records need
to be consistently structured into discrete categories or
fields, each of which can hold a specific piece of
information. Table 1 summarises the recommended
catalogue fields, details of which are given in the
Appendix. It is recommended that the museum adapts
the guidelines in this chapter as the basis for an internal
inventory control and cataloguing handbook, with
decisions on the fields to be used by the museum.
The inventory and catalogue fields in Table 1 are based
on ideas developed by five existing projects, which have
been applied by many museums around the world. The
overall approach is based on the AFRICOM Handbook
of Standards, developed by ICOM and the AFRICOM
Co-ordinating Committee for use by museums
throughout Africa. This includes over 50 fields,
organised into four main groups (object management,
object description, history of the object and
documentation of the object) (column 3 in the table).
The Handbook has been published in English-French
and Arabic editions (International Council of Museums,
1996 and 1997) and has been used as the basis for
training materials.
The AFRICOM standard was closely based on a set of
more general guidelines developed by ICOM’s
International Committee for Documentation (CIDOC)
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(International Council of Museums. International
Committee for Documentation, 1995) (column 4). The
third general model is the SPECTRUM standard,
develop by the United Kingdom-based Museum
Documentation Association (MDA). The full
SPECTRUM standard is a substantial publication
(Museum Documentation Association, 1997; Ashby,
McKenna and Stiff, 2001), but the MDA has also issued
a cataloguing manual, which incorporates the main
fields (Holm, 2002) (column 5). The fourth standard is
Object ID, which was developed as a specific guide to
the information that is most helpful in the event of an
object being stolen (see the Illicit Traffic chapter)
(Thornes, 1999) (column 6). The final standard is
Dublin Core (DC), which has been developed as a
means of retrieving information resources on the
Internet (Dublin Core, 2004) (column 7).
The published versions of these five standards can be
consulted for more detailed information. The full text of
the English-French edition of the AFRICOM
Handbook and the CIDOC and Object ID standards
can be accessed on the Web (see the references).
Inventory and catalogue fields
The fields in Table 1 are appropriate to the main subject
areas in museums with archaeology, antiquities,
ethnology, fine and decorative art, costume, history and
natural history collections. Irrespective of the subject
area, all records should include a number of core
concepts, such as Object Number and Object Name
(column 2 in the table). Other fields are equally essential
for individual subject areas, such as the Title field for Art
collections, the Production Period/Date field for
archaeology collections and the Classified Name field for
natural history collections.
A number of these fields are particularly important for
collections management and security purposes, such as
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Object Number, Current Location and Distinguishing
Features. Other fields are important for research and
public access, such as Producer/Maker and Production
Period/Date. The actual fields relevant to the museum
will depend upon its subject areas and its emphasis
between research and public uses.
The basic ‘inventory’ of the collection is made up of
records incorporating the core fields and those that are
essential for individual subject areas. (In the case of
individual works of art and archaeology, the inventory
fields are those in the Core and Object ID columns in
Table 1 (see the Illicit Traffic chapter).) One approach is
to develop an inventory and a separate fuller catalogue,
but it is more efficient to think of these concepts as a
single information resource, which serves each of the
purposes outlined above. The development of inventorylevel information is the highest priority. This should
include a photograph or digital image of the object.
Syntax and terminology
In addition to using a standard set of fields, it is
important that the museum adopts a consistent syntax
and terminology for the entries in the fields. Syntax rules
define the way the information in the field is structured.
Terminology rules define the terms that are allowed in a
field. The museum’s decisions on syntax and
terminology should also be incorporated in the internal
cataloguing handbook.
One example of syntax control is the style used for
recording personal and organisational names. Museum
records are rich in names (collectors, producers, donors,
conservators, etc.), and these can be made up of a
number of elements, so it is important to follow a
uniform approach. If the museum does not have an
established rule for personal names, it may be useful to
review the approach taken by major libraries in the
country, comparable to the Anglo-American
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Cataloguing Rules (AARC) which are widely used in
English-speaking countries.
The standard approach for personal names written in
the roman alphabet is to place the surname first,
followed by a comma then the initials or forenames (e.g.
‘Smith, John’). In contrast, organisational names should
be written in the style used by the organisation and
should not be inverted (e.g. ‘H.J. Heinz Company Ltd’).
For personal names in Arabic, the AARC guidelines
advise that in the case of a personal name which contains
a surname or an element comparable to a surname, the
cataloguer should use this part of the name as the
primary entry. In the case of a name that does not contain
a surname or an element comparable to a surname, the
cataloguer should use the element or combination of
elements by which the person is best known as the
primary entry. The primary entry should then be placed
at the beginning of the name, followed by other elements
(e.g. ‘Mālik ibn Anas’). Include a comma after the
primary entry, unless it is the first part of the name (e.g.
‘Sadr al-Dīn al-Qūnawī , Muhammad ibn Ishāq’).
Another example of syntax control is dates, where the
AFRICOM standard uses the style ‘year/month/day’
(‘YYYY/MM/DD’) (e.g. ‘2004/08/24’). A third example
is the sequence of concepts making up the definition of
a production place or collection place, where the
preferred order is specific to general (e.g. ‘Eiffel Tower,
Champ de Mars, Paris, France’).
It may be necessary to include two or more distinct
entries in an individual field, such as the names of two
producers involved in different stages of producing an
object or the multiple materials making up a complex
object. The museum should adopt a consistent approach
to the way these entries are separated from each other,
such as the use of a semicolon between multiple entries
(e.g. ‘gold; silver’).
The AFRICOM standard also includes useful
examples of terminology for individual fields in both the
English-French and Arabic editions (International
Council of Museums, 1996 and 1997). These include
lists for Material and Technique.
The description of the Acquisition method and Acquisition
date fields, taken from the appendix
Acquisition method (core field)
The method by which the object was acquired.
Examples: ‘excavation’, ‘gift’, ‘purchase’, ‘unknown’
The AFRICOM handbook (field 1.5) has a term list.
Acquisition date (core field)
The date the object was acquired.
Examples: ‘2004/08/24’
Exercise: use the inventory and cataloguing guidelines as
the basis for an internal inventory control and cataloguing
handbook, with decisions on the fields and the syntax and
terminology controls to be used by the museum.
Object numbering, labelling and marking
It is important to assign a unique number to each object
and to relate this to the object by either writing it on a
label associated with the object or marking it on the
object itself (International Council of Museums.
International Committee for Documentation, 1994).
The object number provides the link between the object
and its documentation and can be invaluable if the
object is stolen or misplaced.
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Example of a term list for materials (reproduced from International
Council of Museums, 1996, with the permission of ICOM).
If the museum follows the approach of using group
accession numbers, the object number may be a subset
of the group number or independent of the group
number. If the museum follows the approach of giving
each object a unique accession number, the object
number will be the same as the accession number. The
number must be unique within the museum: if similar
numbers are used by two or more departments or within
two or more collections, prefix each number with a code
to make the overall number unique.
In the case of an excavated object, the museum should
decide whether it is possible to use the number assigned
at the time of excavation, or whether to establish a
separate object number. If it is possible to agree to a
common numbering approach with the excavator, this
can remove the need to renumber and mark the objects
and aid the incorporation of the excavation records into
the museum. If this is not the case, the original
excavation number should be recorded within the
museum record.
If the object is made up of two or more parts, it is
important to label or mark each part, in case they
become separated, such as on display or during
conservation. The parts can be given separate part
numbers, formed by subdividing the object number (e.g.
by adding letter suffixes).
See the Collections Management chapter for guidelines
on labelling and marking.
Location and movement control
It is essential that all changes of storage location are
carefully tracked. This enables the museum to quickly
find an object and helps reduce the chance of objects
being misplaced or being stolen without the museum
being aware of the loss.
The recommended catalogue fields include separate
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Table 1. Recommended catalogue fields and correlation with other guidelines
Field
Core
Object Management
Museum name
x
Object number
x
Accession number
x
Acquisition method
x
Acquisition date
x
Acquisition source
x
Normal location
x
Current location
x
Current location date
x
Current location reason
Remover
Conservation method
Conservation date
Conservator
Conservation reference number
Deaccession/disposal method
Disposal date
Disposal recipient
Object description
Physical description
Distinguishing features
Image reference number
Object name/common name x
Local name
Title
Classified name
Category by form or function
Category by technique
Material
x
Technique
Dimensions
x
AFRICOM
CIDOC
MDA
1.3
1.4
x
x
x
x
1.5
1.6
1.7
1.8
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Object ID
Dublin Core
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
2.17
2.17
2.1
2.9/2.10
2.11/2.12
2.13
2.8
2.2
2.3
2.14
2.15
2.16
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
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Table 1. continued
Field
Core
Specimen form
Body part
Sex
Age or phase
Content/subject
Inscription/mark type
Inscription method
Inscription position
Inscription transcription
Inscription translation
Inscription description
Condition assessment
Condition date
History
Historical comments
Producer/maker
Production place
Production period/date
User
Place of use
Period/date of use
Collection or excavation place
Site reference/name
Site co-ordinates
Object co-ordinates
Site type
Age/period of feature
Collector/excavator
Collection/excavation date
Collection/excavation method
Collection/excavation number
Documentation
Publication reference
38
AFRICOM
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7
2.18
2.19
2.20
3.26
3.1/3.3
3.2
3.4/3.5
3.8
3.9
3.11
3.12
3.15
3.13
3.14
3.16
3.17/3.18
3.21/3.22
3.23
3.24
3.25
4
CIDOC
MDA
Object ID
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Dublin Core
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
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entries for Normal location and Current location. The
Normal location is the long-term location of the object,
such as a storage area or gallery, while the Current
location is where the object is currently held, such as in
a conservation area or on loan to another museum. The
current location should be updated each time the object
is moved, together with the date, the reason and the
responsible person.
The museum must take special care to ensure that the
information about the location of a particular object or
collection is kept secure. This information can be of great
assistance to criminals considering raiding the museum.
Conservation information and condition reports
If the object is conserved, a reference to the conservation
work should be incorporated in the catalogue record. If
there are fuller details about the process, it may be most
efficient to hold these in a separate file, linked to the
catalogue record via a Conservation Reference Number.
Similarly, if a condition report is produced about the
object, note the condition status and date in the
catalogue record and keep a full condition report on file
(see the Collections Management chapter).
Images produced during conservation work and when
preparing condition reports should be retained by the
museum. These can be linked to the object record.
Deaccessioning and disposal
If the object is removed from the collection, it is essential
that information about the removal is added to the
catalogue record. The overall catalogue record should be
retained, so that the museum has evidence of the fate of
the object.
As with a new acquisition, the proposed de-acquisition
should be referred to an internal committee for approval
(see the Collections Management chapter).
Backlog accessioning, inventory control and
cataloguing
Unless the museum is newly established, the staff are
likely to be responsible for existing collections with
incomplete records and problems such as difficulties in
finding individual objects and relating these to the
existing records. In addition to introducing new
procedures, it may be necessary to carry out a backlog
documentation project to bring the existing
documentation and organisation of the collection up to
the required standard.
The starting point for the backlog project should be a
review of the history and scope of the collection (Ashby,
McKenna and Stiff, 2001). This review should include a
description of the main groups within the museum,
including individual collections and major acquisitions.
It should also describe the available information, such as
the extent of accession and catalogue records and files,
the depth of information, the use of manual and
computer approaches, etc.
If there are major gaps in the records and files, it will
probably be necessary to develop new or improved
catalogue records. The priority should be to establish
records which cover the whole collection, concentrating
on the inventory fields. Fuller details can then be added
as time and staff expertise allow and as the collection is
used by staff and researchers. If the museum needs to
carry out this work for a substantial part of the
collection, this may be an ideal time to introduce a
computer-based application and to create images of the
collection (see below).
The backlog work will probably need to include
physical checks of the collections in the stores and on
display and a check of the details in existing registers and
records, plus a reconciliation between the two sets of
information (Holm, 1998). This can be a time39
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consuming exercise in a museum with a substantial
collection, but is an essential step in bringing the
collection under control.
The stores-based work should consist of a systematic
check of each object in the store and the development of
a record about the object. If the object does not have a
legible Object Number, it may be possible to trace this
using the available documentation, or it may be
necessary to assign a temporary number, in the hope that
this will be superseded by the correct number at a later
stage in the project. It is essential that the temporary
number is associated with the object, using a label.
In addition to the Object Number, the record should
include basic descriptive details (e.g. object name,
classified name or category, title, material and
dimensions) and the current storage location. If possible
in the time available, add a brief physical description and
note any distinguishing features, inscriptions or marks
and the condition of the object. In addition, take one or
more images of the object, for internal reference and as a
resource for researchers and public access.
It can be very time consuming to record even this basic
set of concepts and the museum will need to be realistic
about the scale of the work and what is achievable with
the available resources. It may be more important to
have limited details across the collection than to record
information in each of these fields. It will be desirable to
carry out a pilot project to test the timings and work out
the best methodology. It is particularly important to
establish the most efficient work flow for the imaging
work, including possibly establishing a basic studio
facility in the store.
If the museum does have existing records, these can be
used as the second source for the backlog project. For
example, if there are old registers or catalogue cards, the
details can be used to establish a complete run of records
40
corresponding to all the object numbers, whether or not
the objects have being traced. Once the physical checks
have been completed, it should be possible to identify
records where the objects have not been traced and to
then annotate these records to show the current status of
the objects. The records should be retained in the
system, for future reference and in the hope that the
objects may be identified at a later date.
In addition to the catalogue records, it may be necessary
to establish new accession files. If the museum is not sure
whether individual collections are acquisitions or longterm loans or the duration of loans, it may be necessary to
contact the original source for clarification. This can be a
sensitive issue, as it carries the risk that some sources may
ask for the return of the objects, but it is a necessary step
in validating the status of the collection.
Exercise: produce a report outlining the history of the
collection and the availability of information about the
collection.
Exercise: develop a plan for the backlog cataloguing of a
specific collection.
Manual and computer-based cataloguing and
retrieval
The catalogue information can either be recorded in a
manual system or a computer-based system. The
preferred approach depends on the museum’s expertise
and resources.
The most effective approach in a manual system is to
design record cards or sheets, with spaces for the
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different fields listed in Table 1. The master copies of
these records can then be stored in Object Number
order, as the primary authority about the collection. If
the museum has a number of different subject areas, it
may be useful to produce separate designs for each of the
main areas. For example, a record card for archaeology
can give an emphasis to collection fields, while a card for
art can give an emphasis to production fields.
If resources allow, the museum should produce a
duplicate copy of these records and store this at another
location, such as an overseas museum (see the Illicit
Traffic chapter). The museum should also maintain
indexes to the most useful and frequently consulted
information, such as Current Location, Object Name,
Producer, Production Period/Date and Collection Place.
A computer cataloguing system stores information and
images about the objects in the collection in a more
flexible format than a manual system (Holm, 1998;
Holm, 2002; International Council of Museums, 1996).
The computer system should include an underlying
database, data entry and search screens, facilities to
produce printed reports and transfer information to
other systems and procedures for backing up the
database. The system should support efficient
cataloguing and a wide range of searches. It should also
enable the museum to store secure copies of its records at
external sites.
One option is for the computer system to take the
place of manual records, with information being
recorded directly onto the database. An alternative
option is for the system to be used in association with
manual records, with these providing the basis for the
information entered onto the database.
In addition to cataloguing functions, the scope of a
computer system could be extended to support a range
of collections management functions, such as
accessioning, exhibition development, location control
and conservation management. The museum could also
consider providing the public and researchers with online access to information, both within the museum and
on the Web.
The key step in introducing a computer application
should be a functional analysis of the requirements of the
museum. This can build on the review of the history and
scope of the collection, summarising the current state of
information and the museum’s plans for developing this
situation. It should describe the potential number of
records and the depth of information to be incorporated
in the system, the potential number of images, the scale
of any backlog work, the priority on cataloguing,
collections management and public access and the
potential number of users (staff, public and researchers).
These details provide the museum’s management with
the evidence for deciding how to proceed in introducing
the computer application.
Following the work on the functional analysis, the
museum may decide to develop a new computer
application, using its own skills or those of a software
agency to adapt a general-purpose database management
system. An alternative approach is to acquire one of the
externally-developed applications used by a number of
other museums, such as those listed by the MDA, the
Museum Computer Network and other advisory bodies
(see the Sources). The more substantial museum
applications include a number of modules, which
support cataloguing, collections management and public
access. If the museum decides to investigate these
externally-developed applications, the functional analysis
can be used as the basis for a statement of requirements
(a Request for Proposals). This can be issued to the
potential vendors and form the structure for their
proposals, which can be evaluated by the museum.
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Example of a catalogue card (reproduced from
Holm, 2002, with the permission of the MDA).
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Example of a computer data entry screen
(reproduced from Holm, 2002, with the
permission of the MDA).
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Images
Photographic images, digital images and scientific
drawings of the collection are a valuable resource, both
for internal reference purposes and for use by researchers
and the public. For example, they can be shown to law
officers and customs officials and the media if an object
is stolen (see the Illicit Traffic chapter) and they can be
added to the Web if the collection is put on-line. Ideally,
it is useful to have an overall image of the object, plus
one or more detailed images of distinguishing features
and inscriptions.
Digital images are the most flexible resource, if the
museum has access to digital cameras and scanners and
staff with the skills to produce good quality images. The
recommended approach is to take an archival image and
use this as the source for thumbnail and full-screen size
derivative images. The archival image can be saved to
off-line storage, while the smaller derivative files can be
stored on-line. The preferred image format for archival
images is TIFF and for reference images is JPEG.
If the museum has existing conventional photographs,
it may be efficient to produce digital copies of these to
use alongside images produced directly by digitisation. If
a third party has images of the museum collection, such
as in an excavation report or a publication, these may
also be potential sources. As noted above, a backlog
project is an ideal opportunity to produce a consistent
set of digital images. It is also important to build
imaging work into day-to-day accessioning and
cataloguing.
If the museum is using a computer-based cataloguing
system, it should be possible to link the derivative images
to the records, so that the thumbnail image displays as
part of the catalogue record. The Image Reference
Number provides the link between the image and the
catalogue record.
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Examples of catalogue record and reference image within a Web
catalogue application: Museum of London Ceramics and Glass
collection, record A27744, www.museumoflondon.org.uk/ceramics
(reproduced with the permission of the Museum of London).
Web access to the information about the collection
If the museum is developing computer-based records
and digital images, this gives it the potential to provide
access to information about its collections on the Web.
Depending on the technical facilities and expertise
available to this museum, this can be accomplished by
providing on-line access to a public access module in the
museum’s cataloguing system or by copying information
from the internal system into a specific Web application.
The technical requirements can be assessed in parallel
with the review of the computer system.
A key issue in considering a Web development is to
identify the potential users and match the Web resource to
their interest. The museum will need to consider whether
its priority is on supporting researchers, the general public
or education groups. The main interest of researchers is
likely to be the flexibility to search and browse through
detailed catalogue records and images. The public and
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Exercise: carry out a review of other Web sites developed by
museums with similar interests and collections and also assess
the needs of users, to identify what information would be useful
on the Web and whether this influences the approach to
cataloguing and imaging. In the case of Iraqi museums, see
http://icom.museum/iraq.html for ideas about relevant museums.
application, imaging facilities and potentially Web access
services, and the regular replacement or updating of all
of these. It will also be necessary to have a budget for
consumables, including registers, forms and catalogue
cards or sheets if using a manual system.
Examples of Web catalogue application: Museum of London Ceramics
and Glass collection, www.museumoflondon.org.uk/ceramics
(reproduced with the permission of the Museum of London).
education users may be more inspired by a combination of
contextual information, images and basic catalogue
information, such as the history of the collection and the
ability to browse through its major themes.
If the museum does decide to develop a Web-based
catalogue, it may be worth discussing with other
museums the potential for a shared approach, such as a
collaborative Web site and a national catalogue.
Staff and financial resources
One of the greatest costs associated with documentation
is the work involved in developing records and
particularly carrying out backlog cataloguing. In
addition to the input by core staff, this type of work is
very suitable for temporary project staff and volunteers,
who can build up valuable skills.
The second major budget issue is the cost of a
computer system, including hardware and a cataloguing
Sources and references
A number of international and national organisations have
developed documentation principles over the last 30 years.
These can be consulted for additional advice and support.
The leading international body is the International
Committee for Documentation of the International
Council of Museums (ICOM-CIDOC). CIDOC can be
contacted through ICOM, or see the CIDOC Web site for
general information (http://www.cidoc.icom.org/). The
United Kingdom-based MDA (Museum Documentation
Association) is one of the longest-established national
organisations. The MDA Web site has general information
(http://www.mda.org.uk/), including copies of an extensive
set of Fact Sheets (http://www.mda.org.uk/facts.htm).
Another long-established organisation is the US-based
Museum Computer Network (MCN), with extensive
advice for members (http://www.mcn.edu/).
Appendix. Recommended catalogue fields
Object management
Object identification
Museum name (core field)
The museum name, including the name itself and the
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town or city in which the museum is based.
Examples: Arab Museum, Baghdad
Object number (core field)
The number for the object, assigned by the museum and
marked on or attached to the object. If the museum
follows the approach of using group accession numbers,
this object number may be a subset of the group number
or independent of the group number. If the museum
follows the approach of giving each object a unique
accession number, this object number should be the same
as the accession number. The object number must be
unique within the museum: if similar numbers are used by
two or more departments or within two or more
collections, prefix each number with a code to make the
overall number unique.
Examples: IM 012345,1
In the case of an excavated object, the museum should
decide whether it is possible to use the number assigned
at the time of excavation (Collection/excavation number),
or whether to establish a separate object number. If it is
possible to agree to a common numbering approach with
the excavator, this can remove the need to renumber and
mark the objects and should aid the incorporation of the
collection and the excavation records into the museum. If
this is not the case, the original excavation number should
be recorded within the museum record.
Acquisition information
Details about the acquisition of the object by the
museum, documenting the legal status of the object
within the collection. This information should be
recorded when the object is acquired and then
incorporated in the catalogue record.
Accession number
The overall accession number of the group of which the
object is a component, if the museum follows the
approach of using group numbers. If the Object number
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is a subset of the group number, this accession number
should be implicit in the Object number.
Examples:
Acquisition method (core field)
The method by which the object was acquired.
Examples: ‘excavation’, ‘gift’, ‘purchase’, ‘unknown’
The AFRICOM handbook (field 1.5) has a term list.
Acquisition date (core field)
The date the object was acquired.
Examples: ‘2004/08/24’
Acquisition source (core field)
The name of the person, group or organisation from
whom the object was acquired.
Examples:
Storage information
Details about the location of the object in the museum
or at an external venue.
Normal location (core field)
The normal location of the object, such as a storage area
or gallery. Include specific information, so that the
object can be easily located. Update this information if
the object is moved to a new long-term location.
Examples:
Current location (core field)
The current location of the object, as a means of tracking
the object when it is moved from its permanent location,
such as being held for conservation or sent on loan to
another museum. Update this information and the date
field each time the object is moved.
Examples:
Current location date (core field)
The date the object was moved to its current location.
Update this information each time the object is moved.
Examples: ‘2004/08/24’
Current location reason
The reason the object was moved to its current location.
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Update this information each time the object is moved.
Examples: ‘conservation’, ’loan’
Remover
The member of staff who moved the object to its current
location. Update this information each time the object is
moved.
Examples:
Conservation information
Information about conservation work on the object.
Complete this information each time the object is conserved.
Conservation method
The primary method or treatment technique used
during conservation work.
Examples: ‘cleaned’, ‘repaired’
Conservation date
The date of the conservation work.
Examples: ‘2004/08/24’
Conservator
The person who carried out the conservation work.
Examples:
Conservation reference number
A link to fuller information about the conservation
work, such as details about the methods used and the
results of the work.
Examples:
Deaccession and disposal information
If the object is removed from the collection, record
information about the removal. The overall record
should then be retained, so that the museum has
evidence of the fate of the object.
Deaccession/disposal method
The method by which the object is removed from the
collection.
Examples: ‘destruction’, ‘loss’, ‘transfer’
Disposal date
The date of the deaccessioning and removal of the object.
Examples: ‘2003/01/12’
Disposal recipient
The name of the organisation that has received the
object, in cases where the object is transferred to another
organisation.
Examples:
Object description
Overall descriptive assessment
Physical description
A brief general physical description, summarising the
physical attributes of the object. This should be suitable for
use in the event of loss and in a gallery or exhibition caption,
a publication or an on-line system. If the object is made up
of two or more parts, clarify this in the description. Do not
include information about the condition of the object or
evidence of damage, repairs or defects (see the Condition
assessment and Distinguishing features fields)
Examples: ‘Queen’s lyre from Ur, southern Iraq, c.
2600-2400BC’
Distinguishing features
A specific note of any distinguishing characteristics of
this object, which can be used to help identify it and
distinguish it from other similar objects in the event of
its theft. Include evidence of damage, repairs or defects,
expanding on the condition information (see the
Condition assessment field). Omit information about
inscriptions and marks (see the separate Inscription
fields). Work during the Object ID project established
that this information is particularly useful to law officers,
in combination with images of the object which show
the features. Record the information in a non-technical
style that can be readily interpreted by law officers.
Examples: ‘Hairline cracks in bowl, repairs to base’
Photographs and digital images
Image reference number
Information about one of more photographs or digital
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images, which can be used to identify the object and can
be consulted by researchers and the public. The
availability of an image is particularly valuable if the
object is stolen and if the museum provides on-line access
to the catalogue. If possible, incorporate versions of the
image within the record itself. The image number may be
comparable to the object number or in a separate series.
Classification and name information
Object name/common name (core field)
The common name of the object, likely to be familiar to
a member of the public or researcher. It may be useful to
include a general name, followed by a more specific
technical name, so that the information is relevant to the
general user and the researcher. In the case of an
archaeology, art or history object, this entry may be
supplemented by the two category fields (Category by
form, function or type and Category by technique). In
the case of a natural history specimen, this entry is for
the non-Latin form of the name, while the Latin name is
recorded in Classified name.
Examples: ‘comet orchid’, ‘cuneiform tablet’, ‘cup’,
‘cylinder seal’, ‘lyre’, ‘stool’
Local name
The vernacular name of the object or the name in
another language.
Examples:
Title
The title of the object or the name given to the object by
its maker or by reference to its iconography.
Examples:
Classified name
The classified name of a natural history specimen.
Examples: ‘angraecum sesquipedale’
Category by form, function or type
A classification term describing the physical form,
function or type of the object. The specific approach will
48
depend on the subject area.
Examples: ‘container’, ‘furniture’
The AFRICOM handbook (field 2.2) has a sample
term list.
The Red List of Iraqi Antiquities at Risk includes a
number of categories of objects (tablet, cone, seal, plaque,
sculpture, container, jewellery, manuscript, architectural
fragment, coin)
(http://icom.museum/redlist/irak/en/index.html)
Category by technique
A classification term describing the technique used to
produce the object. The specific technique should be
recorded in the Technique field. The use of this
classification field will depend on the type of collection.
Examples: ‘ceramic’, ‘basketry’
The AFRICOM handbook (field 2.3) has a sample term list.
Physical characteristics
Material (core field)
The materials of which the object is made. It may be
necessary to record two or more terms.
Examples: ‘gold’, ‘marble’, ‘clay’
The AFRICOM handbook (field 2.14) has a sample
term list.
Technique
The technique or process used to create the object. It
may be necessary to record two or more terms.
Examples: ‘gilded’, ‘printed’, ‘woven’
The AFRICOM handbook (field 2.15) has a sample
term list.
Dimensions (core field)
The dimensions of the object, including height, length,
with and weight, as appropriate. Use mm and gm as the
preferred units.
Examples:
Specimen form
The physical form of a natural history specimen.
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Examples: ‘egg’, ‘fossil’
Body part
The specific part of the body represented by a biological
specimen.
Examples: ‘cranium’
Sex
The sex of a specimen.
Examples: ‘male’, ‘unknown’
Age or phase
The age of phase of evolution of a specimen.
Examples: ‘adult’
Physical content/subject
Content/subject
The subject or iconography of the object, including the
representation of abstract concepts, people, places and
events. Do not include information about inscriptions
and marks (see below).
Examples: ‘representation of an animal’
Inscriptions and marks
Information about inscriptions and marks on the object.
Build up separate details about each significant
inscription on the object. As with Distinguishing
features, this information can be useful in the event of a
theft, but it is also a valuable resource for researchers,
particularly when supported by an image.
Inscription/mark type
The type of inscription.
Examples: ‘inscription’, ‘mark’, ‘signature’, ‘watermark’
Inscription method
The method used to produce the feature.
Examples: ‘engraved’, ‘incised’, ‘stamped’
Inscription position
The position of the inscription on the object.
Examples: ‘base’
Inscription transcription
A transcription of the source, in the original language.
Examples:
Inscription translation
A translation of the source.
Examples:
Inscription description
A description or interpretation of the inscription.
Examples:
Condition information
A summary of the condition of the object, including a
condition assessment and date. Include a fuller
description of the physical condition of the object in
Distinguishing features. Complete this information each
time the condition is assessed.
Condition assessment
An evaluation of the physical condition of the object.
Examples: ‘fragile’
Condition date
The date of the condition assessment.
Examples: ‘2004/08/24’
Condition assessment
An evaluation of the physical condition of the object.
Examples: ‘fragile’
Condition date
The date of the condition assessment.
Examples: ‘2004/08/24’
History
Historical comments
A brief history of the object, suitable for use in a gallery
or exhibition caption, a publication or an on-line system.
Examples:
Production information
Producer/maker
The person, organisation or social or cultural group who
produced the object. In the case of a complex object, it
may be necessary to record two or more names and to
qualify these with the role of the person, group or
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organisation (‘artist’, ‘engraver’, ‘designer’, etc.).
Examples:
Production place
The place where the object was produced.
Examples: ‘unknown’
Production period/date
The period or date of the production of the object. The
museum should develop a term list for periods.
Examples: ‘Uruk III’, ‘600-300BC’
Use information
User
The person, organisation or social or cultural group who
used or was associated with the object.
Examples:
Place of use
The place where the object was used or associated with
the history of the object.
Examples:
Period/date of use
The period or date when the object was used.
Examples: ‘600BC’
Collection place and excavation information
Collection or excavation place (provenience)
The geographic description of the place where the object
was found or excavated. This should include a hierarchy
of terms defining the place, from specific to general.
Examples: ‘Nimrud, Iraq’
Site reference/name
The reference name or code for the place within the
museum system or a related archaeological system.
Examples:
Site co-ordinates
The geographical co-ordinates of the place.
Examples:
Object co-ordinates within the site
The relative co-ordinates of the object within the place.
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Examples: SW37
Site type
The type of site, according to an established typology.
Examples:
Age/period of feature
The archaeological or geological age/period of the place.
Examples:
Collector/excavator
The collector or excavator of the object, including the
name of an individual and any expedition.
Examples:
Collection/excavation date
The date the object was collected.
Examples: ‘1921’
Collection/excavation method
The collection method.
Examples: ‘surface collection’, ‘excavation’
Collection/excavation number
The reference number given to the object by the
collector or excavator, if this is different from the Object
number.
Examples: ‘ND9999’
Documentation
Publication reference
Information about published sources or images and
other illustrations of the object, including bibliographic
references.
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Care and Preservation of Collections
Stefan Michalski
Senior Conservation Scientist, Canadian Conservation Institute
Introduction to collection preservation
Conservation and preservation literature can often seem
to be dominated by huge (and ultimately unachievable)
lists of things to do. One can become so busy following
parts of this good advice that there is never time to stand
back to see if this really is the best way to achieve the
fundamental objective of preserving the collection. This
chapter therefore adopts a recently developed way of
viewing the preservation and conservation of collections
as a whole, before focusing in on the details.
At the same time, collection preservation remains an
intensely practical business in which detailed practical
advice is needed alongside this new way of thinking.
Therefore this chapter also contains many practical
examples and case studies (based on real events or an
amalgam of real cases) drawing on the author’s
experience in surveying and advising museums, large and
small, in many countries, including Egypt and Kuwait.
It is not possible to cover all details of care and
conservation standards and procedures in such a short
introductory chapter, so where useful references exist
these are noted.
Deciding priorities and assessing risks
Fundamentally, all heritage preservation, including that
relating to museum collections, relies on two stages of
decision-making:
1. Selection: what can and should be preserved within
the resources available to the museum?
2. Assessing and managing risks: using human and
other resources to reduce future damage.
The selection phase is mainly the concern of other
chapters of this book, (particularly those on The Role of
Museums and the Professional Code of Ethics, and
Collections Management). However, it is important to
understand that the nature, choice and history of the
collections largely determines how much energy and
resources the museum needs for preserving its collections.
In both small and large museums, most of the
collection arrived long before the current staff. Decisions
on acquiring new objects are often disconnected from
those who understand special preservation requirements,
though increasingly museum acquisition policies call for
a condition and conservation assessment before
purchasing additional items or accepting donations. As
the removal of objects from the collections
(deaccessioning) is rare, and often painful, in most cases
the museum collections are always growing. They are also
always aging.
These facts create two of the fundamental problems of
collection preservation. There is constant pressure on
storage leading to less than ideal storage and study space
and therefore overcrowding. At the same time, the
conservation needs of many categories of artefacts
increase markedly with the age of the collection. Many
items, such as archaeological metals or historic
machinery, can deteriorate more rapidly once they have
been “saved” by a museum than when they were sealed
in the ground or in use in the historic factory.
Although museums tend to assume that the only way to
address the imbalance between the needs of the collection
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and available resources is to search for new staff, space and
money, the museum and its community must, from time
to time, pose three questions: Why preserve these
particular things? What new things do we want to collect?
Why? (See also the Collections Management chapter.)
Reducing future loss and damage in a 100 years or
more
In both its everyday use, and as a technical term, risk
simply means “the possibility of loss.” In the past,
museums used the word risk only for the possibility of
rare and catastrophic losses, such as fire, theft, war
damage, or major natural disasters. In this chapter,
“possibility of loss” includes equally the gradual and
cumulative damage to collections caused by agents such
as damp, insects, light, and pollution. Preservation of
collections is the reduction of all and any future losses. It
is risk management of the collections.
The terms risk and risk management are widely used
now by other fields, including other museum subjects
besides preservation of the collections. The chapter on
Museum Security provides information on risk
management in relation to the overall risks to the
museum and its buildings. The Managing People chapter
provides information on health and safety risks in relation
to staff and visitors. In all applications the basic concept
remains the same, reduction of the possibility of loss.
Risk management of collections is not about the next
year, or the next ten years, or even our own lifetime. It is
about our children’s lifetime, and that of their children,
and so on. Experience in risk management of collections
has shown that a practical benchmark for thinking about
risks is 100 years. The important skill in risk assessment
is to be able to find all the different reasons why, in 100
years, your collection will be in poorer condition than it
is now, and to describe each of those many reasons in
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ordinary words. Later sections will suggest how to do
this systematically.
Classifying risks to collections
There are many different ways to classify and list the
potential causes of loss and damage to collections. When
trying to understand and plan preservation, however, it
does help to choose a single viewpoint of these causes
and then to apply it consistently. It is also important that
the list of causes be complete, so that in our work of
preserving the collections, we do not forget something.
This chapter uses the object viewpoint of causes,
developed by the Canadian Conservation Institute
(CCI), and originally promoted in the information
poster A Preservation Framework, (available both in
hardcopy and on the web at www.cci-icc.gc.ca). For
example, causes of breakage may be staff untrained in
safe handling of artefacts, or an earthquake, but in both
cases, the cause at the object itself, the agent that acts
directly on the artefact, is a direct physical force. There
are Nine Agents of Deterioration that cause damage or
loss to collections. These are 1 direct physical forces, 2
thieves, vandals, and displacers, 3 fire, 4 water, 5 pests, 6
contaminants, 7 radiation 8 incorrect temperature, 9
incorrect relative humidity. These agents are listed in
more detail in Table 1.
The value of this classification is that it helps focus
thinking about collection risk management. For
example, physical forces (an agent of deterioration)
acting on a ceramic object, or an entire collection, may
cause deformation, or fracture, or surface loss (risks).
The risks are basically the same whether the physical
force is caused by an earthquake throwing objects to the
floor (a hazard), or caused by a curator moving
overcrowded objects during the preparations for an
exhibition (another hazard). However, if the artefact is
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held firmly by a padded support, then it is protected
from all such hazards. In other words, the padded
support reduces the risk from physical forces, which may
have many causes in a chain of causes. In another
example, thieves, vandals, and displacers (a person who
moves the artefact to a wrong location) all act on the
artefact in a similar way: they pick it up and take it
somewhere unknown. The hazards, the ultimate causes,
may therefore range from local criminals to absentminded researchers, but as far as risk management
procedures are concerned, the benefits of controlled
access, and frequent inventory inspection using good
documentation, will be the same.
Table 1 links the agents to their risks and hazards. The
distinction between risk and hazard are defined
technically by experts from the larger field of risk
management (see the glossary at www.sra.org) but the
ordinary dictionary definitions contain the essence: Risk
means “possibility of loss”, hazard means “source of
danger”. (The interesting origin of the English word
hazard is the Arabic word az-zahr, meaning the dice used
in a game of chance. Danger and chance have always been
linked in human affairs.) Whereas a list of all possible
hazards is indefinite, as is a list of all possible risks, the list
of Nine Agents of Deterioration is, mercifully, complete.
As an example of all the terms (agent, hazard, risk)
consider the risk of colour fading in a textile on display.
The agent of deterioration is the light reaching the
artefact surface. The intensity of this agent can be
measured by a simple and relatively inexpensive light
meter. (The units of light intensity are lux – lumens per
square metre). The hazard in this case could be an
inappropriate lighting system, or an exhibit designer
who designs to the wrong intensity, or a preparator who
placed the textile very close to the lamps, or the
maintenance technician who used the wrong
replacement lamps, or the daylight falling on the textile
from an unprotected (or inadequately protected)
window, or the architect who designed the skylights, or
the guard who contrary to instructions opens the special
curtains intended to control the light in the room.
Preservation of collections involves all museum staff
Table 1 also shows the links to other museum activities
and disciplines involved in the control of particular risks.
Many activities and specialists in the museum are
involved, directly or indirectly, in collection
preservation. Curatorial, collections management,
documentation, exhibition, security and management
staff all have major contributions to make.
Teamwork and shared responsibility are now widely
recognised as essential elements of modern museum
management and operation, and this applies especially to
achieving effective preservation of collections. This is not
just a theoretical issue: it is essential in ensuring that the
museum’s limited resources are used effectively. In the
author’s experience, small museums practice teamwork
and shared responsibility naturally. They are better able
to see the whole picture, better able to incorporate new
preservation advice, and better able to coordinate layers
of preservation than staff in large museums. In large
museums, hierarchy, specialization, and competitiveness
often displace teamwork and shared responsibility. In
such situations, a shared vision of preservation, alongside
other museum functions, will only emerge if this is part
of the enthusiastic leadership of senior management.
The collection preservation cycle
Preservation of collections is an endless process.
Activities can be generalised as a cycle that repeats,
shown in figure 1. Each of these stages in the cycle will
be explained later in this chapter.
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Table 1. The Nine Agents of Deterioration
Risks of the Agent
(Form of loss or damage, and the vulnerable
collections)
Hazards (Sources and
Attractants of the Agent)
Partial list
Some other activities and
disciplines involved in
management of each risk
Direct physical forces
e.g., shock, vibration,
abrasion, and gravity
Breakage, distortion, puncture, dents, scratches, abrasion.
All artefacts.
Earthquakes. War.
Poor handling.
Overcrowded storage.
Transit inside and outside the
museum.
Conservation.*
All museum staff for detection,
handling, and for emergency
response. Building cleaning
services.
Emergency preparedness, museum
and government.
Thieves, vandals,
displacers
i.e. unauthorized human
access and removal.
1 Intentional
2 Unintentional
1 Total loss, unless recovered. All artefacts, but especially
valuable, and portable artefacts. Disfigurement, especially of
popular or symbolic artefacts.
2 Loss or misplacement. All artefacts.
Professional and amateur
criminals.
General public.
Museum staff.
Highly visible precious
artefacts.
Security.
Collection management.
Curators and researchers.
Local police.
Fire
Total destruction with no recovery. Scorching. Smoke damage.
Collateral water damage. All artefacts.
Exhibition installation. Faulty
electrical, lighting systems.
Arson. Careless smoking.
Adjacent buildings.
Security (fire). All museum staff for
detection.
Local fire service.
Conservation*
Water
Efflorescence or tide marks in porous materials.
Swelling of organic materials.
Corrosion of metals.
Dissolution of glue.
Delamination, tenting, buckling of artefacts with layered
components. Loosening, fracture, corrosion of artefacts with
joined components. Shrinkage of tightly woven textiles or
canvases.
Floods. Storms.
Faulty roofs. Internal faulty
water and sewage
connections.
External faulty water and
sewage connections.
Wet pipe fire suppression
systems.
Conservation.*
Emergency preparedness, museum
and government.
All museum staff for detection, and
for emergency response.
Building cleaning services.
Pests
1 Insects
2 Vermin, birds, other
animals
3 Mould, bacteria (see
Incorrect Relative
Humidity: damp)
1 Consumption, perforation, cuts, tunnels. Excreta that destroys,
weakens, disfigures, or etches materials, especially furs,
feathers, skins, insect collections, textiles, paper, and wood.
2 Consumption of organic materials, displacement of smaller
items. Fouling with faeces and urine. Perforation, fouling of
inorganic materials if they present an obstacle to reaching the
organic material.
Surrounding landscape.
Vegetation habitats near
building perimeter.
Garbage habitats.
Incoming building materials.
Incoming artefacts.
Incoming staff, visitors.
Spilled foods.
Conservation.*
Building operations.
Food services.
Exhibit design.
All museum staff.
External pest control companies.
External biologists for identification.
Agent of Deterioration
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A case history of museum teamwork: sunlight and guards
A curator acquires an old textile from a local family. She has wanted it for the museum collection for many years. The
textile was kept in the great-grandmothers dowry chest. They have agreed to give it to the museum if it goes on display in
a prominent place. She studies the wall where she wants to mount it, and notices that at this time of day a bright beam of
sunlight falls on the wall. The window shutters had been opened by the cleaners, and kept open by the security guard
because they want ventilation. The curator asks about closing the shutters but they complain that it will be uncomfortable
while they work. She has read somewhere that light can be damaging to textiles, but she is not sure.
Her museum is too small to have a specialist so she contacts an expert at the national conservation institute. After
correspondence, he advises her that indeed, some of the colours in the textile she describes will probably fade
significantly in two years if they receive two hours of direct sunlight each day, and even the indirect daylight in the room
will probably cause fading in ten years. She decides to focus first on the biggest risk, the direct sunlight. She arranges a
meeting with the cleaner and the guard in her office. She invites them to inspect the wonderful textile, explains its historic
connection to the community, and explains the dilemma. After some discussion, the guard suggests that now that he
understands the reasons, he could close the shutters for the two hours that the sun is a problem. He could move his seat
to another open window without sun during that part of the day.
During the discussion the cleaner remarks that last year, when it rained, (when the curator was on holiday) she
discovered dirty water on that wall from a roof leak, but she cleaned it up. She said she did not know who to tell. Perhaps
that might also be a problem? The curator realizes she must speak now to the display case maker, and the man
responsible for the building roof, to solve the water risk. The cleaner and the guard feel more attached to the museum
collection, and understand that they too have a recognized role to play. They are, after all, the staff who look most closely
at the exhibit room every day, and their observations form a valuable part of collection monitoring.
Exercise: Recall any teamwork experiences, positive or negative, or, if it has never happened, imagine where and when
in your museum you could be involved in sharing such knowledge. Draw on a sheet of paper circles representing at least
3 or more individuals in your museum and show by arrows connecting the circles what knowledge or activity is shared. If
there are organisational barriers between individuals, draw heavy lines between the two, that block the arrows. Does your
museum look connected?
Some specific things, such as building a better storage
room, can provide benefits long after they are
completed. Other things, such as monitoring the room
for insects, must continue indefinitely (with its own
cycle).
More subtly, the planning and design of the new
room, and the decision to allocate time and resources to
the insect monitoring, must themselves be part of the
general cycle of preservation.
Who takes the preservation leadership roles?
Traditionally, museums have fragmented the
preservation cycle, especially larger museums. Much of
the reorganization of museums in the last 20 years has
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government-funded agencies that will undertake surveys
and give advice. In any of these cases the surveyor or
surveyors writes a report that describes the risks, and
usually makes recommendations for improvements. The
report then becomes part of the museum’s planning
documents.
Regardless of who takes the lead in performing the
survey and in planning the preservation cycle, the
Director must take a key role, as this will contribute to
the overall museum planning process.
Figure 1. The collection preservation cycle, that must be coordinated
within other museum planning cycles.
centralised collections preservation responsibilities under
a Collections Management Department or unit. Within
it, there may or may not be Conservation Department.
The Security Department is usually separate from the
Collections Management unit, while planning often
takes place in each Department separately, with only the
Director’s Office able to coordinate policy and decisionmaking. However, in a very small museum, these are all
just different roles that one or two people share.
In a large museum with a separate Conservation
Department, the chief conservator typically takes the lead
in the condition survey and collection risk survey of the
collections, and in developing possible options.
Alternatively, it may be the collections manager who leads
the assessment cycle, while small museums often hire in
on contract a conservator with experience in surveying. In
some countries the cost might be paid through a
government grant, while some countries have permanent
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Other types of conservation survey
There are several other possible forms of survey in
addition to the model emphasized in this chapter, with a
range of names, for example preventive conservation
surveys, conservation surveys, or collection surveys.
Some organizations have developed special survey
forms that allow standardized information to be collected
across many museums in a region. The answers form a
description of the museums preservation activities and
their facilities, but provide no analysis of what it all
means to collection preservation. They usually rely on an
expert to perform the survey, and they always rely on an
expert to interpret the answers. Organizations have
recognized this problem, and developed surveys that
suggest guidelines for “good practice. Thus, the museum
can compare their own situation with the national or
local “best practice” in relation to preservation.
A more traditional type of conservation survey is the
collection survey. Some of these have been automated in
software. The purpose of such surveys is an assessment of
the degree of damage of each artefact, or of the average
artefact. Information may also be collected on an
estimate of restoration work necessary for each damaged
artefact, and even on such work previously executed.
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All these issues of different surveys, and their role in
museum life, are described well and in detail in Susan
Keene’s excellent book, (Keene, 2002) The author’s own
organization, the Canadian Conservation Institute, is
working on a computer based system that will contain
many detailed questions, with an encyclopaedia of expert
risk assessments of the many possible answers, but such
a tool is still in the future.
Where is conservation and restoration in all this?
One hundred years ago, the only job of those responsible
for the care of museum artefacts was restoration, i.e., the
repair and reconstruction of precious objects, one at a
time. In the last fifty years, this profession transformed to
that of “conservator/restorer.” Conservation emphasizes
treatments that clean, stabilise, and strengthen the
artefact. Conservators will also sometimes restore,
reconstruct old damage, but without attempting to
deceive the viewer. It is still, however, treatment of one
artefact at a time.
Conservators recognised the need to prevent new
damage, and discovered that prevention methods could
be applied across whole collections. This is called
“preventive conservation” as compared to treatments that
are now called “remedial conservation.” The approach
described in this chapter, risk management, expands the
preventive conservation idea by insisting on a method
that compares the effectiveness of each major category or
item of preservation expenditure, current or planned.
Conservation, even restoration, of some special
artefacts, is still necessary in museums, especially for
works of fine or applied arts, archaeological materials, or
historic materials that the museum wants to display. For
large museums, there may well be a Conservation
Department which performs all these functions, and
which can also take the lead responsibility for the
preservation ideas in this chapter. In small and medium
size museums, conservation is available only by contract
of an independent specialist, or in many countries, by a
state sponsored conservation facility.
For a detailed definition of the conservator/restorer by the
international organization that represents them, see the
ICOM Conservation Committee web page, www.icomcc.org. This also lists news of all its conferences, working
groups and publications. The other international agency
that all those working in preservation of collections should
know is ICCROM, www.iccrom.org , an intergovernmental
organisation established in Rome in 1959. It is the only
institution of its kind with a worldwide mandate to promote
the conservation of all types of cultural heritage, both
movable and immovable. It aims at improving the quality of
conservation practice by providing information, advice, and
training, and by raising awareness about the importance of
preserving cultural heritage, particularly though not
exclusively in its more than 100 Member States.
Step 1: Check the basics
A list of the basics
There is a famous management maxim called Pareto’s Law
that says that most of an organisation’s benefits (80%) are
achieved by a small fraction (20%) of the organisation’s
efforts. In giving advice to museums about preservation of
collections over many years, one does indeed discover that
most of the preservation is achieved by a short list of
recommendations, which we can call “The basic
preservation strategies” or just “The basics”. So, before
proceeding to the refinements of risk management, it is
useful to check the basics first. These are given in the box
titled “The basic preservation strategies”. Generally, one
does not expect a large museum to have missed any of the
basics, but the list does apply frequently to smaller
museums, or to large museums with no resources.
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The basic collection preservation strategies
Basic strategies that address all or many agents at once
1 A reliable roof. Reliable against local precipitation, covering all organic artefacts (and preferably most inorganic artefacts.) While this is obvious
to even people outside museums, it also applies to large objects, such as historic vehicles, or historic machines with paint. They cannot be
expected to survive many years if exposed to sun and weather.
2 Reliable walls, windows and doors that block local weather, local pests, amateur thieves and vandals.
3 Reasonable order and cleanliness in storage and displays. The word “reasonable” is crucial. It does not mean spend most of your time on
obsessive neatness, which provides very little benefit, and can even be counterproductive. It means keeping sufficient order that objects are not
crushing each other, that inspection and surveys are easy, that objects are raised off the floor, and that object retrieval is easy. It means
sufficiently clean that pests are not given habitats, that metals do not accumulate corrosive dust, and that porous and difficult to clean artefacts
are not soiled.
4 An up-to-date catalogue of the collections, with location of artefacts, and photographs at least adequate for identification of the object if stolen,
and preferably adequate for identification of new damage.
5 Inspection of collections on a regular basis, in storage and in exhibits. This becomes especially important in museums that have limited
resources for other strategies of preservation. The time period between inspections should be no less than the time it takes insect pests to
mature from eggs (approximately 3 weeks for the clothes moth). Inspect not only for new damage, new signs of risks, but also for thefts.
6 Bags, envelopes, or encapsulation used wherever necessary. Except where other rigid boxes are already provided, this includes all small and
fragile objects, all objects easily damaged by water, all objects easily attacked by local pollution, all objects easily attacked by insects. These
enclosures must be at least dust-proof, preferably airtight, waterproof, pest resistant. Transparent polyethylene or polyester is the most reliable,
such as food quality bags (e.g. “Zip-Loc” TM). There is a large literature on details of these methods for textiles, archives, coins, etc.
7 Strong, inert backing boards for all delicate flat objects, to support, and to block many agents from behind. This includes manuscripts, paintings
on canvas, paintings on paper and board, wall maps, stretched textiles, photographic prints, (both in storage and on display). For any that have
front surfaces vulnerable to pollution or water or vandalism, provide protection by glass.
8 Staff and volunteers are committed to preservation, are informed and appropriately trained. Basic strategies that address a single agent that is
a high risk to most or all of the collection
9 Locks on all doors and windows. These should be at least as secure as an average local home, and preferably much better.
10 A detection system for thieves (human or electronic) that has a response time less than the time it takes an amateur to break the locks or
windows. If not possible, the most valuable artefacts are stored in another, more secure location, when the museum is unoccupied.
11 An automatic fire suppression system, i.e., sprinklers (or other modern systems). This can be considered non-critical only if absolutely all
building materials and all collections are non-flammable, e.g., ceramic collections in metal and glass cases in a masonry building with no wood
joists.
12 All problems of sustained damp are addressed quickly. Damp is a rapid and aggressive agent, causing many risks, such as mould, corrosion,
and gross distortion. Unlike fire, floods, and insects, it is so common it is often tolerated. The two usual sources of damp are small water leaks
and condensation due to large changes in temperature drops (as at night). Move the collection away from the damp. Fix the water leak.
Ventilate against condensation.
13 No intense light, no direct sunlight, no powerful electric light, on any coloured artefacts, unless one is sure the colour has zero sensitivity to
light, e.g., fired ceramics, fired glass enamels.
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Why are these so basic?
The basic items in the list can reduce many different
risks at once, often at low cost, or they reduce a single
catastrophic risk that could affect all the collections and
perhaps the museum itself. In the case of the first two
(roofs, walls etc.) they do both. Reliable roof and walls
block all nine agents of deterioration, not always
perfectly, but always to a large extent. This fact may seem
so obvious as to be facile, but for many museums
guaranteeing a “reliable roof ” and “reliable walls” is not
so easy. In recent years there have been many reports that
some of the most famous international museums have
suffered from extensive water leaks dangerous for the
Figure 2. A simple roof structure built over a particularly important part
of an archaeological site near a museum. Notice the subtle slope and
gutter to direct rain away from the protected area, and avoid rising
damp problems in the walls. A small price, a lot of effective
preservation. All photographs in this chapter are by the author, Stefan
Michalski, Canadian Conservation Institute, all except figures 9,10,
made during teaching or consulting projects for UNESCO or ICOM, in or
near Cairo, Aswan, and Kuwait City, between 1986 and 2002.
Figure 3. The Solar Boat in its own building, near the great pyramid.
The need for sprinklers to control fire risk is obvious, but what are the
risks from incorrect humidity and temperature for such an object? How
can we know? What is the best way to achieve control reliably?
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Figure 4. A papyrus manuscript on display in a small museum.
Sandwiched between two layers of glass, and taped. A traditional and
very cost-effective form of collection preservation. Provides a sealed
enclosure that blocks water, pests, contaminants, and incorrect
humidity. Provides protection from many, although not all, physical
forces. Easily cleaned without harm to the artifact.
collections because of lack of proper maintenance or
renewal. Besides, many large or immoveable artefacts are
left outside. In figure 2, a simple roof is installed over the
most important and vulnerable part of an archaeological
site, nearby its associated museum. On the other hand,
one can argue that perhaps the modern building around
the solar boat (figure 3) with its extensive windows in the
desert sun, does not reliably block the heat of local
weather (unless the air-conditioning unit is functioning).
At the opposite end of the scale very simple and
inexpensive measures such as the use of suitable plastic
bags, backing boards, or glass, can make a big difference
to the protection of the collections, and will protect
against most hazards other than burglary and fire. Figure
4, and a later example (figure 10), show these simple but
highly effective methods in action.
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Step 2: Survey the risks
When to start doing a survey, and how long will it
take?
To identify risks to the collection, one can just react to
situations as they arise, as did the curator in the case study
no. 1. Or one can begin with the list of the basics, as in the
previous section, and do that until it is finished. An alternative
would be to begin immediately with a systematic survey,
which will uncover the basics as well as the not so basic.
A simple survey of a small museum might take one
experienced person three days, a detailed survey of a large
museum may take several people several months. Whether the
survey is a simple one, looking for high priority risks, or
whether it is a detailed one looking for all risks, large and small,
the guiding principle is “systematic and comprehensive”. Too
often in preservation of collections, staff have focused on old
habits, on trendy new processes, on ad hoc reports, and on
dealing with emergencies, real and bureaucratic.
In summary, a simple survey is better than no survey. Soon
is better than never. The crucial aspect is to step back from
your job, from your normal preservation activities, and look
at your museum and its collections with open eyes, looking
for anything that could possibly cause damage.
What exactly am I looking for?
The surveyor is looking for all possible risks to the
collection. This is the most difficult part of risk assessment
to explain, and of course, it is the most important part to
make the survey useful. It is the part that benefits most
from experience, but it is also the part that anyone can do.
It needs common sense, reasonable intelligence, and good
eyesight. It helps to have a feeling for the material world, to
be what some might call a practical person, but it also helps
to be imaginative, since one must imagine everything that
might go wrong. It also helps to have a love for the
collection, since that usually brings both a detailed
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familiarity and a strong concern for the collection’s safety.
There are two stages to this search: collecting facts, and
predicting risks.
Collecting facts in order to predict risk
The surveyor begins by collecting many facts, motivated
entirely by the next step, which is to predict all the
potential risks to the collections. The facts are best
collected in a systematic pattern, and a suitable and
proven model is outlined in the next sections. These facts
must not contain any opinion or speculation, and it is
necessary to agree where facts end and opinions begin.
The surveyor then predicts specific risks. Each specific
risk is predicted by imagining a specific scenario of
possible loss or damage, implied by each survey fact, or
possibly implied by several linked facts. The key concept
is that of imagining a possible loss, and then finding the
best available facts to support a quantifiable prediction.
Fortunately, many serious risks can be imagined by
common sense, and roughly estimated. Other risks, such
as fading by light, is more a matter of scientific
knowledge. For simple surveys, one does not need to be
an expert to uncover most large risks. One needs only to
be systematic.
Sources of facts: visible and invisible
A risk assessment survey relies on two sources of facts,
and it reduces time and effort if one approaches each
separately.
1. Visible facts. This is the part of the survey where we
look with our own eyes, and make observations. One
looks at the site, the building, the rooms, the furniture,
and the collections.
2. Invisible facts. This is the part of the survey that
considers prior history of the museum, current staff
activities, procedures, attitudes, planning, as well as many
external sources of data needed for risk estimation (e.g.,
flood data, earthquake data, light sensitivity data, etc.)
It is easier, though not essential, to keep these parts of
the survey separate, simply because the visible part
involves walking around the museum, inspecting things,
taking notes, taking photographs, whereas the invisible
part involves talking to staff and researching relevant
documents. It is not critical which part is done first, but
it is useful to have a general understanding of museum
mandate, preservation policies, old planning documents,
before surveying the museum. It is also very helpful to
have copies of a floor plan for marking locations of
observations.
Surveying visible facts
The collections can be considered as inside a sequence of
containers, like boxes within boxes. Each adds its layer of
protection. This is shown in figure 5.
The survey of visible facts follows a path from the
outside to the inside. The surveyor begins by looking at
the site, then at the building and all its features, then
moves inside the building and looks at the building from
the perspective of each room. For a pattern refined by
the author over many surveys, see the Appendix, “A
suggested museum survey path, set of observations, and
set of photographs.”
Take pictures
Pictures capture many details. In the author’s experience,
photographs not only form powerful elements of a report,
they form a practical record for the surveyor. One often
notices things while staring at a photograph that one
missed while in front of the real thing: did that room have
fire sprinklers? Were all the manuscripts under glass, or
only some? Were lights on in all cases? A photographic
record also preserves facts for future comparative surveys.
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use photographs to record museum lighting, learn to
make photographs of the building and rooms and display
cases with the flash turned off. In low light, a tripod may
be necessary.
Figure 5. Nested layers around the collections.
In the past, making a hundred good photographs with
film was relatively expensive, but with the advent of
digital cameras of 3 megapixels or more, a surveyor can
take many pictures at low cost and place them within
reports or e-mails whenever necessary. It is especially
useful to be able to check the quality of the photograph
immediately, and to take it again if it is overexposed, out
of focus, etc. Typically a survey of a small size museum
will generate 100-200 photographs, a medium size
museum 300-400. (A digital camera can make it easy for
even a small museum to make its collections available over
the Internet in due course).
Photographs should always be taken systematically
according to a plan, not haphazardly. It is much easier
when making use of the photographs later, especially in a
museum with several rooms, to take them in a logical
sequence. A suggested sequence for photographs is given
in the Appendix “A suggested museum survey path, set of
observations, and set of photographs”. Also, in order to
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Surveying invisible facts
Surveyors in the past sometimes stopped their survey
after they had toured the building and the collections.
This missed much of what determines collection
preservation. A comprehensive risk assessment needs
information from architectural drawings, from policy
and planning documents, from manuals of lighting and
exhibitions design, etc. It also needs facts that exist only
in staff memory, even in museum habits, unrecorded but
influential.
Do the staff always leave the back door open on hot
days, even if the official policy forbids it? Do the lights
in all display cases come on all night when the cleaners
need to work? Has the roof or plumbing ever leaked?
Where? Does the curator bring new artefacts into storage
without quarantining them first, and without checking
for insect infestations that could rapidly spread through
the museum? Do staff eat food in the storage areas and
thus attract both rodents and insect pests? Do staff
smoke there? And so on.
Some important sources of information on risks will be
found outside the museum. What are the local and
regional hazards? Is the museum located on a flood plain
or at risk from landslips? What is the probability of
earthquakes? What is the frequency with which the
identified natural hazards occur, and what is the current
trend? (Changes such as the construction of new building
developments or roads which obstruct the natural
drainage can make a major and immediate difference to
the risk of flooding.) To what extent are the collections
sensitive to light and incorrect humidity levels?
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Figure 6. A glass lamp, with coloured decoration, exhibited and
illuminated with an internal lamp.
A basic list in the Appendix gives typical sources and
useful questions for invisible facts. Do not be limited by
this list: it is only a starting point. You will always need
to discover facts for your risk assessment that are not in
this list, or any available list. One can rely on two
guiding principles in this search: imagination, and prior
history.
Imagination, means allowing yourself to imagine any
specific risk that seems plausible. For example, you
observe a Syrian glass lamp displayed with a bulb
illuminated inside (figure 6). You imagine that perhaps
the colours of the glass design will fade if the lamps are
on all day. Some one told you yes, all colours are
vulnerable to light, but someone else laughed and said,
no, not coloured glass. Someone else, more careful, said
authentic lamps with coloured glass are not a problem,
but later lamps with coloured paint designs are a
problem. So, given this plausible imagined risk, it
immediately directs you to your requirements: You need
to locate facts about Syrian lamps, different forms of
coloured design, and the effects of light. Exercise: What
do you think should be the lighting decision if there is no
information available on the coloured design of a lamp?
Prior history of the occurrence of hazards in the
museum provides extremely valuable facts. For example,
the question “what are the risks from poor handling of
artefacts throughout the museum” can lead you to a
difficult theoretical analysis of handling by a complex
system, or it can also direct you to ask a simple question
of all staff: does anyone remember any stories of artefacts
being dropped, scratched, or damaged in any way by
handling, even five years ago, twenty years ago? Be sure
to explain that the intent is not retribution, but solution.
Names are not necessary, only the stories. You will
discover that the collective memory of all museums
contains stories of such minor events, never recorded
before. Collect these: they are precious to understanding
your collections preservation. Note that collecting prior
history is a slow form of institutional “detect” (though
ideally all such occurrences ought to have been properly
investigated and recorded at the time). As with all
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detection, the purpose is to trigger a response that will
lead to an improvement in the risk management in
relation to the collections.
Assessing the collection risks, based on the facts
After collecting all the risks one imagines possible in a
list, the question arises: which risks are more important,
which risks less important? Traditionally, museums made
such decisions by a mix of expert opinion (if available),
personal opinion, and internal politics. Issues were often
fragmented across various departments. These realities
will still be part of practical museum decisions, but a
survey report that assesses all risks to the collections
provides a very useful starting point for discussions.
There are currently only two tested methods of
comprehensive risk assessment for museum collections.
One is a detailed, arithmetic method developed by Waller
(2003) in a large national museum, and applied successfully
to many medium and large-scale museums. The other is a
method using simple rank order scales developed by the
current author, applied successfully to a large number of
small and medium size museums in Canada, and taught at
several training courses, such as courses in 2003 and 2005
co-sponsored by ICCROM and CCI. Only the rank order
approach will be presented here, but a good factual survey
can always be converted later into an arithmetic assessment
if desired. Rank order scales are common in risk
management whenever non-experts do the assessment.
The scales in table 3 consider the following four
components of the risk assessment:
How soon?
How much damage to each affected artefact?
How much of the collection is affected?
How important are the affected artefacts?
The magnitude of risk is then the sum of these four
components.
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The scores from each of the four scales are added
together (NOT multiplied). This total score is the
Magnitude of Risk due to the Specific Risk assessed.
Overall, this simple system suggests the following
categories of priority based on total score:
9-10: Extreme priority. Total collection loss is possible
in a few years or less. These scores arise typically
from very high fire or flood probabilities,
earthquake, bombing, and fortunately, are rare.
6-8: Urgent priority. Significant damage or loss to a
significant portion of the collection is possible in a
few years. These scores typically arise from security
problems, or very high rates of significant
deterioration from bright light, UV, or damp.
4-5: Moderate priority. Moderate damage to some
artefacts is possible in a few years, or significant
damage or loss is possible after many decades.
These scores are common in museums where
preventive conservation has not been a priority.
1-3: Museum maintenance. Moderate damage or
moderate risk of loss over many decades. These
scores apply to the ongoing improvements even
conscientious museums must make after addressing
all of the higher risk issues.
Later in this chapter, there are worked examples of risk
assessment using these scales.
It is not essential to use these scales in a risk
assessment. A surveyor can choose simply to use terms
like high, medium, and low, for risks, or “Needs to be
done this year” versus “Can wait for ten years”. What
matters in the end is that the museum should be able to
point towards some rational and understandable method
in the survey for making some form of assessment, and
that the entire museum and its diverse systems have been
systematically surveyed.
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Table 3. Simple scales for risk assesment
How soon? (rate, or probability, of damage)
Score Risks that occur as distinct events Risks that accumulate gradually
3
Occurs about once every year
Damage occurs in about 1 year
2
Occurs about once in 10 years
Damage occurs in about 10 years
1
Occurs about once in 100 years
Damage occurs in about 100 years
0
Occurs about once in 1000 years
Damage occurs in about 1000 years
How much damage to each affected artefact? (proportional loss of value)
3
Total or almost total loss of artefact
(100%)
2
Significant but limited damage to each artefact
(10%)
1
Moderate or reversible damage to each artefact
(1%)
0
Just observable damage to the artefact
(0.1%)
How much of the collection is affected? (fraction of collection at risk)
3
All or most of the collection
(100%)
2
A large fraction of the collection
(10%)
1
A small fraction of the collection
(1%)
0
One artefact
(0.1% or less)
How important are the affected artefacts? (value of artefacts at risk)
3
Much higher than average significance (100 times the average value)
2
Higher than average significance (10 times the average value)
1
Average significance for this collection
0
Lower than average value for this collection (1/10 the average value)
An example of the maximum possible score
How soon?
3
How much damage, to each affected artefact? 3
How much of the collection is affected?
3
How important are the affected artefacts?
1
Magnitude of Risk (total of above four scores) 10
Notes: It is not possible to score 11 points. If all the collection is at risk, then the
importance of each artefact cannot be more than average, and if it is 10% of
the collection, it cannot be more than 10 times average value.
Any of the scales can be scored intermediate half values if desired, e.g., 2.5
Step 3: Plan improvements to collection risk
management
Five stages of collection risk reduction
All the very many, perhaps thousands, of ways that
museums reduce collection risks can be subdivided into
five stages: avoid, block, detect, respond, recover.
1. Avoid sources and attractants of the agent.
2. Block all access and paths for the agent (since
sometimes step 1 fails).
3. Detect the agent in the museum (since sometimes
steps 1 and 2 fail).
4. Respond to the agent after presuming, or detecting
its presence (otherwise step 3 is pointless).
5. Recover from the agent’s effects on the collections
(conserve artefacts, and reconsider what went
wrong and plan improvements).
The first four stages are prevention of damage. The last
stage is remedial conservation and restoration, necessary
only because the preventive stages failed. Of course,
much of the damage in museum collections happened
long ago, or before it entered the museum. Even the best
collection care will not eliminate the need for remedial
conservation.
Throughout the remainder of this section on planning
improvements, remember that each of the five stages has
a role to play, and that successful risk management
balances all five. Later, when actually thinking about
your own collection risk management, remember that
each of the five stages is a powerful way to stimulate
thinking about what might be missing in your museum.
Common-sense, good house-keeping, but there are
complications
Many authors have noted that the strategies of traditional
“good house-keeping” resemble good collection
preservation. In other words, a lot of preservation is
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common sense. In fact, the “list of the basics” presented
earlier would be very familiar to a housekeeper a hundred
years ago. On the other hand, some habits of
housekeeping can damage the museum collections.
For example, if nearby deserts, or dusty roads, deposit
a layer of fine mineral powder on collections, then
cleaning the artefacts regularly would seem like a good
idea. Unfortunately, two problems arise: abrasion, and
snagging.
Abrasion develops when the same dust-cloth is used
over and over. Unless it is carefully cleaned every few
minutes, the cloth fills with the abrasive dust, and the
process of dusting becomes a process literally of sanding
the artefacts. The author saw a collection of gilded
furniture in Egypt stripped of almost all the gilding,
simply because they were regularly “dusted” by cloth. A
variation on the cloth problem occurs with feather
dusters. The feathers wear quickly, and the spines of the
feathers become sharp points that scratch the surfaces
they dust. Painted surfaces in small historic house
museums often show the multiple scratches of
generations of feather dusters.
Snagging occurs with complex objects. It especially
occurs with styles of furniture that use elaborate fretwork
and inlays, common in Islamic decorative arts. The dust
cloth or feather duster snags fragments that have curled
or partially delaminated, and flings them somewhere far
away! A museum cleaner questioned by the author
(many years ago) about this issue angrily defended
himself, and stated that his family had performed this
function for generations. It was a mistake of diplomacy
to raise the issue as a young, foreign expert, and in the
presence of his supervisors. In retrospect, it is unlikely
that anything changed about cleaning in that museum.
Better to have informed the curator, who could later
approach the staff member discretely.
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A second complication seen repeatedly by the author in
museums with a dust problem is water damage. The most
common form of institutional floor cleaning, inside and
outside, observed by the author in all the hot regions of
the world East to West, appears to be mopping with
copious amounts of water, often thrown in puddles on
the floor, either early morning before the museum opens,
or immediately after closing. Part of the reason is
probably the pleasant cooling effect, part of the reason is
the prevalence of tile floors and stone walls, with no
wood components. Part may be the ritual of cleansing
with water that occurs in many cultures where water is
scarce. History and sociology aside, the very real risk as
far as preservation is concerned, is the risk of water
damage, as shown in figure 7. Here, in a major museum,
no one in authority has noticed or acted on substantial
change in the artefacts appearance, despite the obvious
clues given by the plastic sheet protecting the eye. There
is no damage under the plastic. And the nails holding the
plastic are corroding very fast, and staining the wood
even more. Obviously the protection of glass, such as
figure 8, is better for a wood sarcophagus.
Find individual solutions, and then common
solutions
For each risk identified and assessed (or at least for all
risks selected as significant) a collection risk surveyor
then develops a solution, or maybe several options for a
solution. If possible, the surveyor estimates cost, or at
least identifies the type and scale of resources required.
In business terms, this then permits the museum to try a
cost-effectiveness calculation: how much risk does each
option control, and how much does this control cost?
Individual examples are provided in the section on
Examples of specific risk assessments and individual
solutions.
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Figure 7. A wooden sarcophagus on open display, on the museum
floor. The water stains are from many years of water splashed during
daily floor cleaning with wet mops, a common procedure in hot dusty
climates. The plastic protection over the eye reduced risk of vandalism,
and also blocked the water splashes.
Figure 8. A sarcophagus in a modern museum case. While it is
obvious that it blocks water from the floor cleaners, it is not obvious if
it can or cannot block water leaks from above, or insects, or smoke, or
pollutants. Close inspection, or design drawings, and probably both, are
required for such assessments.
Recommending individual solutions works well if the
survey has identified a few high level risks that have
unrelated solutions. In such cases, simple business logic
suggests that the museum should implement solutions to
all high-level risks in order of increasing cost.
Finding common solutions to groups of risks is also
possible, but may require exploration of different
options, different solutions to each high-level risk. One
then looks for options that address several risks at once.
It may be more cost-effective to spend a little more on an
option that solves several risks than to implement the
lowest cost option of each risk.
The only planning dilemma arises when many small
risks can be solved at low cost, whereas the one large risk
can only be solved at high cost. Actually, this is not a
dilemma so much as a risk management trap, or fallacy,
that many museums have fallen into, and suffered as a
result. Solving the low level risks that we can afford, or
for which we have already assigned staff, makes us feel
that we are truly doing our best to preserve the
collection. And as noted at the beginning of this chapter,
it is not difficult to fill one’s time with habits that address
low level risks.
Time after time, one sees museums that spend months
of labour on special padding for textiles in storage, and
do nothing to reduce the risk from the 3 water and
sewage pipes that cross the ceiling of that same
collection. Or museums that build beautiful wooden
cabinets that solve small humidity risks instead of
designing the cabinets and building to cope with the
probable severe earthquake in a region of high seismic
activity. Or museums that conserved paintings at great
expense, which then dropped to the floor after
installation because no one tested if the hooks were
strong, and finally, the numerous museums that
neglected to install sprinklers, or even decided not to
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install sprinklers because of perceived water risk, and
burned to the ground. (It is interesting to note that old
photographs of the solar boat museum (figure 3) on
some tourist web sites show no sprinklers. Presumably
they were added later, not in the original design.)
One last note on finding solutions: it is a common
mistake to start thinking of risk management
improvements only in terms of building something, or
buying something. Many solutions to risks and hazards
emerge in the intangible, such as staff training or
improved communication. For example, one large
museum discovered that over and over, there were
preservation mistakes in new display cases (in lighting,
supports, polluting materials.) The conservation
department and the exhibitions department did not
communicate regularly during exhibit design.
Conservation was only obliged by museum policy to
approve the exhibition at the final stages of installation.
By then, it was too late, or too expensive, to make
changes. The result was only animosity, and a
dysfunctional relationship. The improvement was
simple, with no cash cost: conservation was required to
send a representative to exhibit design committee
meetings, from start to finish. Later, conservation staff
admitted that they had no idea that exhibit design was
such a complex task, and that the lighting solutions they
proposed, such as fibre optics, could be so expensive.
(For an excellent resource on conservation issues and the
exhibit design process, see the CD-ROM entitled
Exhibit Conservation Guidelines: incorporating
conservation into exhibit planning, design and
fabrication, by the US National Parks. (Raphael, c 2000)
Find integrated preservation solutions
The word integrated has recently emerged as another
preservation management ideal. It means to bring an
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independent and isolated activity into the larger system.
The goal is not just a grand theory, but a practical
holistic operation. It is a relative term, inasmuch as some
apply it to the integration of pest control within the
museum operations, others propose it for all
preservation activities within the museum.
The challenge is this: An integrated method is a diffuse
and system wide method that cuts across many
independent museum activities. For example, integrated
pest control requires, among other things, cleanliness
under cabinets, plus reduced vegetation around the
walls, plus mandatory quarantining of new artefacts,
plus no food in curator’s offices near storage, etc.
Integrated relative humidity control requires that cabinet
design and building mechanical systems and
conservation monitoring form a complete and costeffective system. Implementing an integrated approach
depends on the cooperation of many museum staff and
their departments. Sustained teamwork depends on
shared understanding. Successful integrated solutions
always begin with successful communication.
Find sustainable preservation solutions
Finally, the most modern concept in heritage preservation
is “sustainable”. A new university programme in
sustainable heritage, for architects, engineers, and
conservators, has just opened in the United Kingdom.
(www.ucl.ac.uk/sustainableheritage) In essence, sustainable
means the organization takes no more than it can give
back. There are two flavours to its use in heritage
preservation: environmental, and financial.
When thinkers in the conservation of the environment
apply sustainability to heritage, it means that a historic
museum building is a resource, and any plan to tear it
down and replace it by a new building must consider
that each brick thrown in the garbage, and replaced by a
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new brick, represents enormous “taking without giving”
from the environment.
At a more day to day level, consider museum lighting.
Fluorescent lamps are “low energy lamps” and by using
them in museum lighting, one saves energy three times.
First, one saves at the lamp, which consumes much less
electricity for the same light as incandescent lamps
(including quartz halogen lamps loved by exhibit
designers.) Second, ones saves on the electricity to
operate the air-conditioning that is needed when the
museum is full of hot incandescent lamps (significant in
many museums, especially in hot climates). Third, the
size of the air-conditioning plant can be smaller, and
hence the energy consumed by its manufacture and
replacement is less.
Unfortunately, many compact fluorescent lamps
contain a significant amount of complex electronics, and
this becomes garbage when the lamp is replaced. Newer
models of compact fluorescent lamp separate the
electronics from the lamp (as do all large fluorescent
lamps). Still, as any lighting designer will attest, using
fluorescent lamps successfully in museum displays is not
easy.
The other flavour of sustainability comes from the
field of economics. Pragmatists here use the word simply
to mean that the local finances of the museum will
balance, not just this year, but indefinitely. The last two
decades have seen many museums worldwide discover
that they were not sustainable in these terms. Part of
what drove their operating costs far beyond their
resources was the installation of complex mechanical
systems for temperature and humidity control. These
expensive mechanical systems were driven by
“conservation standards”, which will be examined more
sceptically in the section Museum temperature and
humidity guidelines.
Plan within general museum planning, and
beyond
The collection preservation cycle only has a meaning
within an organisational structure that can implement it,
such as your museum. Other chapters in this book deal
with the planning and management of the museum as a
whole. There will be times and places identified within
that planning process for leaders of the preservation cycle
to speak and plan within the larger museum planning
cycle. The objective at museum planning meetings is not
simply advocacy of preservation needs, but creative and
imaginative collaboration. Listen to the other museum
interests.
Recall the case history of the curator with a recent
donation of a textile from an important local patron.
Besides planning a good preservation (low risk) display,
the museum may wish to consider the public relations
aspect. Keep the donor happy, and other donors, and
more gifts may appear. Also, the exhibitions and
education departments may ask to present conservation
and preservation aspects of the textile, such as how the
museum treated the textile, how the textile was
fabricated locally, what historic dyes might have been
used, and thus full circle, why low lighting is necessary.
Each of these possibilities are real, and each has occurred
in successful museums.
Some readers of this chapter will become, or may be
already, in positions of importance within national or
even international heritage agencies. These agencies are
being asked to demonstrate their results, and their costeffectiveness. All are beginning to consider a preservation
cycle of their own: assessment (where surveying
intangible facts is called consultation with client groups),
then option generation, then planning (coordination
with client groups again), and only then,
implementation. The next cycle of assessment then looks
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for results from implementation of the previous cycle, as
well as new or unaddressed risks.
In fact, the author based the preservation cycle on a
model taught by a lecturer on government program
development, where the idea that the process was a
continuing cycle, not a straight line with a start and a
finish, was considered a breakthrough! Historically,
though, the straight line project model, with a final
ending, is understandable. New goals tend to have a
short List of the Basics, which can be approached once,
and completed. For old goals, however, like collection
preservation in an established museum, improvements
are not obvious, cost-effectiveness is far from obvious,
and the results often uncertain. The cycle must be
repeated, and new assessment data injected.
Examples of specific risk assessments and
individual solutions
Figure 9 . Islamic manuscripts (books in horizontal cases,
single sheets in wall cases) in exhibit cases illuminated by
electric lamps
A display room full of Islamic manuscripts, displayed as
shown. Modern electric lamps. Modern, solid, display cases.
Overall impression of collection preservation: excellent.
Perhaps there are significant risks to the collection, or
perhaps none. Only careful assessment can determine this.
Assessment of light fading risk in figure 9.
A measurement with a light meter is necessary, plus
information on exposure time, plus some information on the
colorants in the artefacts. If for example, the light intensity at
the manuscripts is 100 lux, and the curator advises that the
lights are turned on by guards only when visitors enter,
which is, on average, 3 hours per day most days of the year,
gives a light dose per year of 100 lx times 1000 hours =
100,000 lux-hours a year. Larger units can be expressed in
million lux-hours units (Mlx h) (as in e.g. Appendix 4 of this
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Figure 9. Islamic manuscripts on display in a small, modern museum.
The cases appear well made, and the lighting appears of low intensity,
with no lamps inside any cases. Examples of more precise collection
risk assessments of this room are presented in the text.
chapter). The 100,000 lux-hours of the above example could
therefore be expressed as 0.1 Mlx h. If the weakest colorant
in the manuscripts is in the category of High sensitivity (a
plant dye, for example) then we see from the table that if
there is a UV filter on the lamp, then about 1 Mlxh will cause
a just noticeable fade. That will take about 10 years. And if
full fade takes about 30 times longer, then 300 years for full
fade. So, in terms of the scales:
How soon?
0.5
(in the middle between 0 and 1)
How much damage?
2
(this is a curatorial assessment, typically 1 - 2)
How much of the collection?
2
(for example, consider it is a small museum)
How important are the artefacts?
1
(for example)
Total magnitude of risk
5.5
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If one chooses to use an estimate based on the
beginning of the fade, then the “How soon?” score rises
to 2, but the “How much damage?” score drops to 0. The
result is a total of 5, similar. Either approach is correct for
purposes of assessment. If one knows that the colorants
are all mineral pigments, except one red, which you know
is madder, medium sensitivity to light, then it takes 30
Mlxh, almost 10 000 years for a full fade! It is better in
such extreme examples to use the category of just
noticeable damage (score 0) which occurs in 300 years
(score 0.5) to obtain a total of 3.5 for the above example.
This is a relatively small risk, not zero, but small.
Consider the possibility that the electric lighting was not
100 lux, but 2,500 lux, (common with modern spot
lamps, and typical of indirect daylight in a room with an
open window. Assume the displays were illuminated 12
hours a day, not 3. The rate of fading would increase 100
times. All the above totals would jump 2 points, to 5.5 for
medium sensitivity colorants, and 7 for high sensitivity
colorants, an urgent priority risk. In fact, if the display was
already ten years old by the time the survey was made, any
high sensitivity colorants would already be substantially
faded. In the author’s experience, staff find such results
unbelievable, impossible, but I have seen many examples
of museum exhibits of about 10 years age, where certain
colorants were completely destroyed in that short period,
although the artefacts were over a hundred years old. The
fact is, ordinary people, scholars, owners, do not leave
manuscripts and precious textiles under intense light day
after day, year after year. Ironically, only museums, with a
mandate of preservation, do that.
The options for reducing light fading risks are
relatively few, and predictable.
1
Electric lighting hazards. Reduce lamp size and
number. Cost: from low (lower wattage bulbs) to
moderate (new lamp fixtures).
2
Daylight hazard. Block windows. Cost: from low
(paint the glass, add curtains) to high (special shutters,
blinds, building redesign). With very important
manuscripts and unavoidable bright daylight in
museums with windows, use photographic
reproductions for display. Cost: price of a photograph.
Assessment of water risk in figure 9:
A surveyor needs to look up at the ceiling, perhaps
above the louvers, and check for pipes. Also check the
floor above, is there a bathroom? Laboratory sink?
Suppose, for example, that the surveyor identifies a toilet
in the floor directly above, plus 3 other pipes crossing the
room. As a starting point, it is cautious but reasonable to
estimate each such item may each leak once in 30 years.
This is their expected life in industrial terms. So, 4 leaks
in 30 years, randomly that is one event per 10 years.
Estimate that each leak covers 1/10 the area of the room.
So the risk assessment becomes:
How soon?
2
(one event each 10 years)
How much damage?
2.5
(many water-based inks and paints may be lost)
How much of the collection
1
(1/10 of the room gets wet each event)
How important are the artefacts?
1
(as previous example)
Total magnitude of risk
6.5
This magnitude of risk is in the level of “urgent
priority”, even though absolutely nothing may happen
for 10 years, or even 30 years. This is the nature of
“probable” loss. The surveyor cannot guarantee leaks,
but as an advisor, the surveyor must warn based on
probability. Still, the estimate feels wrong, looking at the
picture.
It is wrong. The assessment above assumes open display.
Pipes and plumbing above open display definitely create a
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high risk situation, (unfortunately common in modern
museums that favour open displays). In figure 9, however,
all manuscripts are in well-made cases, with tightly sealed
glass lids. Close inspection of the detailing shows they
would be very good at shedding water, especially the
horizontal ones that slope. Many expensive new museum
cases are useless at shedding water, or even worse than
nothing, because they funnel water towards the artefact
through lamp openings. Cases such as the one in figure 8,
are very difficult to judge for water hazards. The author
estimates perhaps only 1 in 30 books in the cases in figure
9 would get wet if all cases were sprayed with water. In
addition, all the single vertically displayed manuscripts are
encapsulated in plastic envelopes with sealed edges. About
1 in 10 of the plastic envelopes appears to have openings
that would allow water from above to enter. (Plastic
envelopes can be even better, I would estimate only 1 in
100 of those bags in figure 9 would leak even if the box
filled with water.) So, for open books in cases, the risk
drops 1.5 points, to 5, and for the encapsulated
manuscripts inside the cases, it drops another 1 point, to
4, moderate priority.
The options for reducing the water risk are:
1. Rerouting the plumbing. Cost: moderate to high.
2. Establishing a special maintenance schedule for the
plumbing above the display area.
3. Carefully inspecting and improving the case seals
and encapsulation seals, especially under the pipes
to make their ability to block water even better
than estimated. Cost: low.
If a museum is considering design and purchase of
many cases, or many cabinets for storage, and there is an
unavoidable water hazard above, such as a water storage
tank on the museum roof, it makes sense to design and
test prototypes to resist water spray.
Exercise: Look at figure 8. How might you determine
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what is the risk of water entry from above?
Exercise: Go and look at one of your display rooms.
Try to assess the risk of light fading, and the risk of water
from above. Remember to begin by imagining the
future, the next 100 years. Describe a scenario to
yourself, then try to assess it with the scales. Focus - it is
easier to begin with a specific type of artefact, a specific
part of the room. Practice generalising later.
Figures 10 and 11. Two different boxes of small
textiles, badges
Figures 10 and 11 are from two different small military
museums in Canada. Like many museums, military
museums collect costumes, textiles, and they collect large
numbers of very small things that have value only as
large sets of something. Looking at figures 10 and 11,
one can see by now that the plastic food bags with
“zipper locks” would be a very cost-effective way to
reduce risk from water. It is also a way to reduce risk of
tarnishing due to pollution. These could also be small
items of clothing, shoes, hats, with metallic threads,
from Islamic or ethnographic collections. Water and
pollutant benefits can be estimated, perhaps not
precisely, but with obvious scenarios in mind. Here, we
consider the effect of the bags on two more difficult risk
assessments: physical handling, and insects.
There is no doubt that collection conservators recognize
the advantages of such bags, made with relatively heavy
polyethylene, for protection from physical handling, and
from insects. Curators like the advantages for reliable
labelling, and for keeping fragments together. Label cards
placed inside the bag strengthen even further, and make
small pieces more visible. Natural history collections,
archaeological collections, historical collections, all have
such material. We know it is a good idea, but can the
benefits be assessed meaningfully?
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Figure 10. A box of military badges and textile insignia, without
identification or separation from each other, in a small Canadian
museum.
For physical handling, the best information for
estimates comes from the curators and collection
managers or users themselves, especially in small
museums where they are all the same person. In this
particular example, the curator who had moved his
insignia and badge collections into the bags was
convinced that the rate of damage was much lower. The
question for both curators, especially the one without a
bagged collection, would be: How much damage do you
estimate occurred to these objects from handling in the
previous 10 years, or for as long as you have been in the
museum in your memory? Such an estimate would
include the effect of how often these objects were
searched by users. Perhaps the museum anticipates a great
increase in users, 10 times as many users per year would
increase handling risk 10 times. These are certainly not
easy assessments, but they are necessary before the
museum can agree on the priority. If, of course, there is
already an easier risk assessment, such as rate of silver
Figure 11. A box of military badges and textile insignia, each in an
individual polyethylene "zip-loc" bag, most with identification cards
inside, in a small Canadian museum.
tarnishing, or risk of water damage, or risk of lost labels,
to justify the bags, then an estimate of physical force
protection is informative, but not essential.
Figure 3. Solar boat, incorrect relative humidity risk?
The museum building for the solar boat in figure 3 is
obviously not typical of local historic architecture. It is
the precise opposite of heavy walls, and small windows.
It is what is known technically as a low mass building,
and it has window area typical of a northern European
yearning for light. True, it is called the solar boat, but it
is also true the pharaohs (their technical advisers) buried
it underground in a well sealed enclosure until 50 years
ago. It is apparently a climate controlled building, but
almost always that means temperature controlled for
human comfort, and possibly the relative humidity is
somewhere between 40%rh and 60%rh most of the
time, and outside that some of the time. This is not
flippancy, this is museum reality all over the world.
Exercise: How would you reliably determine the
history of humidity and temperature?
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Now the more difficult Exercise. If you did determine
the humidity and temperature history, then what? How
would you estimate risk?
There was a proposal many years ago, perhaps when
the climate control appeared less than perfect, to place a
very large amount of silica gel around the boat, which
would act as a good humidity controller (called a
“buffer”. (See Thomson 1986, ASHRAE 2004, and
other sources). Was it necessary?
Most readers will have learned that wooden artefacts
show some degree of sensitivity to humidity fluctuations.
Some learned it was very sensitive, others less so. The
best currently available risk assessments to this question
can be found in a very dense table available from the
author. (The answer there: little to no risk of fracture for
up to a 40% fluctuation in a structure like the solar boat,
because each wood piece is free to expand and contract
without constraint. This is, after all, designed like a boat,
which gets wet and then dry without cracking. They just
get loose.) The uncertain risk would arise if any pieces
had been “restored” by a resin). A simplified but
unfortunately vague risk estimate is implied in the
ASHRAE table of Appendix 3. The fast, very precise
answer is this: Humidity fluctuations cannot cause
significant risk of fracture or delamination in the future
unless they significantly exceed all fluctuations of the
past. This past “worst rh fluctuation” is called the
“proofed fluctuation of the collection” (long enough for
the objects to respond, which in the case of the boat,
which exceeds 1 cm thickness everywhere, is at least one
full day, and probably many days for most elements. So,
a very powerful benchmark for risk assessment is not
science of the artefact, but history of the agent. With the
solar boat, this is a double-edged sword. It was removed
from a very stable humidity in a massive and sealed
enclosure, and placed in a risky modern building in the
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desert sun. In other words, the risk, if any, has been
taken already, unless the building performance
deteriorates radically. And the boat looks OK after 50
years. Luck? I think not. I think the best available science
suggests this type of wooden artefact is a very low
sensitivity to humidity fluctuation. And I think the last
50 years proved that. So future collection managers can
take advantage of the knowledge gained by the past. Two
clarifications: 1, If there are small fractures and
distortions observed in the boat, I suspect it is the long
term average rh that is wrong, not all the fluctuations. I
was informed that tests in similar burial chambers gave a
steady 60% rh. And 2, note that there is no advantage
whatsoever (aside from avoiding embarrassment) for a
museum to exaggerate the perfection of its past climate
control. Whatever happened in the past, happened. Its
only value now is as data for future prediction. With
humidity fluctuations and wood, leather, paint, textiles,
glue, paper, parchment (and other organic materials) the
greater the known risks in the past, the smaller the
assessed risks for the future.
Exercise: What would you propose as a logical plan for
estimating the “proofed rh fluctuation” of the wooden
artefacts in your museum?
Exercise: The risks from the other 3 forms of incorrect
rh do NOT follow the same concept as “proofed rh
fluctuation”. Damage accumulates for each event, such
as damp, regardless of previous similar events. Explain.
Figures 12 and 13. Tutankhamun’s lions
Figures 12 and 13 are presented as a cautionary tale about
historical evidence. Unlike the solar boat, the artefact in
figure 12 is showing clear signs of damage from incorrect
relative humidity in 1986. Possibly rh fluctuations,
possibly incorrect long term average rh. There is a
tendency in museums to use such evidence as proof that
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Figure 12. One of the lion heads in Tutankhamun’s collection.
Photographed 1986. Fracture and delamination of the gilded gesso
layer, due to shrinkage of the wood components underneath. The
question becomes, when did this damage occur? What are the risks
from incorrect humidity and incorrect temperature for such an object?
Figure 13. The same lion head as in figure 12, in a photograph taken
by the archaeologist the day the tomb was opened. Although the
photograph is not very clear, each of the fractures or delaminations of
1986 is already present, but to a lesser degree.
the buildings current climate control systems are
inadequate. It may be true that the building’s systems
were inadequate, but this particular evidence is weak.
Notice in figure 13 that at the time of excavation, the
artefact showed much of the same damage, at the same
three locations. Access to more clear samples of the
original photograph, and access to any available
photographs between the two dates would allow a more
precise interpretation of the evidence, and its implications
for future risk management of humidity control.
Exercise: What important artefacts exist in your
museum with similar evidence of slow accumulating
damage from incorrect rh, or any other agent? Go and
inspect them carefully. Are you able to deduce when in
the past the damage occurred? What methods could you
establish that would allow the museum to prove that in
1 year, or in 10 years, new damage had occurred?
Integrated risk management of pests (IPM)
Introduction
The material in this section is based on the work of Tom
Strang of the Canadian Conservation Institute. His
articles (Strang, 2001), and those of others (Pinniger,
2001) published recently in this area should be consulted
when planning the museum’s full IPM program,
especially if insect damage is historically a known
problem. Here, all the key concepts are provided,
enough for a museum to understand the change from
reliance on poison to reliance on IPM, and to begin its
methods immediately. As noted in the previous section
on integrated methods, the pest control industry
adopted the concept and phrase long before museums.
IPM is not only useful in itself, it is useful as a risk
management model for all other agents of deterioration
in museums.
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Figure 14. Collection storage in a medium size museum. The overall
tidiness is good, there appear to be no water sources overhead, and all
but a very few of the large brass cooking vessels are stored without
stacking one on top of another. As with many museums, there is a
work space in the collection storage area which introduces many
hazards, such as constant staff traffic, food, drinks, and considerable
dust (in this example archaeological ceramics are being sorted and
cleaned). It is not certain which tables are for work, which are museum
artefacts.
Avoid sources and attractants
Pests were the agent that initiated the addition of the
word “attractants” to this control phrase. Pests cannot be
avoided in the external environment, but unlike
pollutants, and just like thieves, pests do follow paths
towards whatever attracts them. And a fundamental
attractant and pathway for pests is a pleasant habitat.
One can become specific: the worst attractants are those
that mimic the vulnerable collections. Fur, feathers, and
wool in collections are especially vulnerable to certain
insects, and those insects are attracted towards the
museum building by, of course, fur, feathers, animal
hair, and anything with the same material (keratins) or
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Figure 15. A large museum display hall, 20 years ago, with traditional
museum cases from almost a 100 years ago. The cleaners are dusting
with a feather duster in the early morning. Daylight streams in.
Whether anything is at risk here depends on what collections are
present. Unlike the case of figure 7, one can easily clean underneath
these cases, and inspect for insect resistance.
similar material (chitins) such as dead insects. Thus,
habitat includes the trees and bushes that attract
harmless birds and insects, which die, and then become
the dangerous attractant. After insects clean-up those
items, they look for more…in your building nearby.
Vermin and insects in general are also attracted by
garbage, especially food garbage. Garbage should be
kept at least 20m away from the museum building, and
emptied frequently. To repeat, the fundamental
principle of first stage IPM: remove as much habitat
from the surrounding area as possible. This applies to
every layer of the nested enclosures of figure 5. One of
the large advantages of display cases designed as in figure
15, as compared to that in figure 7, is that one can
successfully ask cleaners to clean up dust (human skin
flakes, hairs, etc) from under cases, i.e., habitat.
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Avoid does apply directly to sources as well. Insects
often enter the museum in new artefacts, or building
materials, and often the materials for open exhibit
display. Thus another general principle of IPM:
quarantine and then inspect all incoming materials,
especially the same type of material as your most
important or most common collections….wood for
wood insects, wool for wool, etc.
Block pathways
The nested enclosures of figure 5, the reliable walls, roof,
doors, windows, of the “list of the basics”, all speak to
IPM. As do the plastic bags of figure 11, containing their
precious bits of military wool. On a less obvious level,
IPM speaks of a “sanitary perimeter” around the
building, which can be applied methodically around
each layer of the nested enclosures of figure 5.
Conceptually, this overlaps with removing habitat, but it
addresses the specific idea of the narrow band of habitat
that acts as a pathway towards the holes and cracks in the
enclosure.
Screens are an important detail, as are any openings
over 1mm. Insect screens on windows, while common in
some parts of the world, are absent in many others. Any
museum with especially vulnerable collections, such as
woollen textiles, should consider screens on any open
windows leading into those collections, and on any
ventilation openings for the mechanical systems.
Probably, one of the lucky factors for museums in hot
dry climates, given the lack of screens on windows, was
the concurrent lack of vegetation and habitat around the
building. It is a great irony, and unfortunate reversal,
that modern museums in these countries strive heroically
to provide pleasant landscaping, watered gardens,
restaurants, all to attract pests to their oasis, and then
their collections! Such museums should at least consider
the sanitary perimeter concept, i.e., a 1m border of grass
and shrub free gravel around the entire building, and
special care with garbage removal.
Detect
Adult insects enter a collection, find their habitat, and
lay eggs. The larva and or pupa stage destroys your
artefacts, becomes adult, and spreads through the
collection. This cycle typically takes a few weeks, so it is
vital to detect any infestation before the cycle can repeat.
If it repeats two, three times, before you discover it,
losses will escalate exponentially. One of the most useful
methods to emerge in museum IPM in the last two
decades is the systematic use of insect “sticky traps”.
Although sold to home owners as a means of killing
insects, their use in museums is not for killing per se, but
for detecting. These sticky traps are placed throughout
the collections, especially along insect pathways (the
dark edges of walls, etc) then inspected on a regular
interval, perhaps once per month. It is important to
identify the species of insect, since many are harmless to
your collections. (see references for identification
sources) Then it is important to maintain records of
what you find, and where, and finally, it is important to
notice any “hot spots” in your building, and to respond.
Respond
In brief, kill the pests. More precisely, find the
infestation that has been detected by the sticky traps, or
by routine inspection of the collections, or in the
quarantined incoming material, and isolate it
immediately, and gently. Dispersing adult insects
throughout the collection by uncovering everything is
not useful. Wrap in plastic to start, and seal well.
Consult the literature, and experts (genuine experts, not
purveyors of poisons) for more details. There are several
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new methods of killing insects that museums need to
know, which avoid poison. One group are called
“controlled atmospheres” or “anoxia” and rely on a bag
filled with air that has no oxygen. The other methods are
called “thermal” and use either very high, or very low
temperatures. (Strang, 2001)The high temperature
methods can use extremely low cost techniques, such as
placing infested artefacts in black polyethylene in the sun
for one day. This “solar” method is now well described in
the collection preservation literature. (Brokerhof, 2002)
Integrated, sustainable risk management of
lighting, pollutants, temperature, and humidity
Risk management replaces rigid standards for the
museum environment
Worked examples of the section Examples of specific risk
assessments and individual solutions presented a risk
assessment and risk reduction approach to issues such as
lighting and humidity control. As noted at the beginning
of this chapter, most preservation advice and guidelines
use a much simpler approach, based on “best-practice”
or “standards”. This is especially true of the last four
agents of table 1, lighting, pollutants, incorrect
temperature and incorrect humidity, known collectively
as the “museum environment.” Simple rules are much
easier to specify, but the price can become very high, and
the benefits arbitrary.
During the 1970s, museums worldwide adopted
simple rigid standards for the “museum environment”.
These standards were based on extremely cautious
estimates of some risks, and oversimplification, or
complete omission, of other risks. The targets were
unnecessarily difficult and expensive in some situations,
and counter-productive in other situations. Although
museums are gradually replacing these rigid targets with
more flexible guidelines, the rigid targets still dominate
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much of the published advice. They completely
dominate loan agreements between museums, an
important fact for large museums that want to borrow
exhibitions.
The dominant text for the past quarter century in this
area has been The Museum Environment by Garry
Thomson (1978, 2nd edition 1986). It still provides an
excellent overview of many issues, although some of its
material is now dated.
Museum lighting guidelines
For many decades, the lighting standard in museums
stated that textiles and works on paper should be
illuminated at only 50 lux and paintings and other
painted surfaces 150 lux. (Lux is the SI international
unit of light intensity). For comparison, full sunlight can
be up to 100,000 lux, indirect daylight 10,000 lux,
bright spotlamps are 2 000 lux, office lighting typically
aims to provide 750 lux on the desk, and a candle held
an arm’s length away shines 1 lux on you.)
Several complications arose. Older viewers cannot see
details at 50 lux – the usually recommended lighting
level for light-sensitive textiles, watercolours and
manuscripts, while even young viewers cannot see
complex or dark surfaces well at that lighting level. Many
artefacts are not very sensitive to light, and are kept in
the dark for no good reason. On the other hand, many
others are so sensitive to light that continual
illumination even as low as 50 lux will cause fading after
many years of permanent display. The author has
reviewed all the literature on visibility, as well as all the
useful data on textile fading, and developed a general
lighting guideline. (Michalski, 1997)
In the last ten years, risk management has emerged in
lighting guidelines from other authors. All begin with
the same risk assessment approach, i.e., how soon until
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noticeable fading? Different authors provide different
strategies to simplify the decision across varied
collections. Eventually, however, all lighting guidelines
based on an acceptable time to cause noticeable fading
need data on sensitivity of collections to light. The best
summary of such data has appeared in a recently
published international guideline for museum lighting
(CIE 2004), and is presented in a shortened form in the
Appendix Sensitivity of coloured materials to light.
Alternatively, one can decide to maintain the
traditional rigid guideline, light all artefacts at a very low
level, such as the 50 lux to 150 lux range, and accept the
complications listed earlier.
Museum temperature and humidity guidelines
For several decades, the standard in humidity and
temperature advice was simple, and rigid: aim to achieve
21°C with 50% RH, and very little fluctuation
permitted. This standard grew out of a concern for
paintings and furniture in Europe, and was indeed
beneficial to those collections. Unfortunately, it was not
at all beneficial to modern archival and paper materials,
which needed cool and dry conditions for long life.
(Michalski, 2000) It was not beneficial to corroded
metals, which needed dry conditions. It was
unnecessarily stringent for many collections, such as
paintings, wooden artefacts, parchment, which were at
serious risk only from damp and extreme dryness, or
stone, ceramics, stable glass, and clean metals, which
were at serious risk only from damp. Finally, as noted
under sustainability, it was an expensive standard to
implement at a building level.
In 1999, a committee of conservation scientists and
mechanical engineers in North America agreed on a
more precise set of guidelines. These were published in a
new chapter for museums, libraries, and archives in the
US engineer’s handbook, first in 1999, and revised in
2003. (ASHRAE, 2003) The chapter also contains an
excellent review of the types of risk to museum
collections, based on the subtypes of incorrect
temperature and incorrect humidity given in the agents
of Table 1. The recommended temperatures and
humidities from the ASHRAE chapter is provided in
Appendix 3. Anyone considering design specifications
for a building, however, should obtain the entire chapter,
for themselves and for the consulting engineers.
The ASHRAE specifications (Appendix 3) use the risk
management concept. There are several grades of
fluctuation control, AA,A,B,C,D, and the risks of each
grade are listed in the right hand column of that table.
Also listed is the risk to chemically unstable archival
materials whenever temperature near 21C is chosen.
Note also that when designing a temporary exhibit space
to receive borrowed exhibits, the space must be designed
to meet the lenders climate requirements, which are
usually very strict.
In the author’s experience of desert or near desert
climates, the periods of sustained damp that plague
maritime and tropical regions are uncommon. Rooms
below ground are unusual in the traditional architecture,
so continuous damp from below ground storage does
not often arise. The most common hazards are very high
average temperature and extreme fluctuations in
temperature and relative humidity between day and
night.
The risks of high temperature are actually not large for
traditional materials. They are a serious problem for
photographs, paper of the last 150 years, plastics, audiovisual material, and digital media. The risk is very rapid
decay, unless cooling equipment is used. Thus the
preservation of modern archival materials does require
modern building technology.
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Fortunately, metals, ceramics, glass, wood, leather,
parchment, rag paper, oil paint, natural resins, and
animal glue experience relatively low risk from
occasional air temperatures up to 40°C. Thus traditional
materials in museums and archives, such as parchment,
papyrus, and rag paper, rarely are seen to have suffered
loss from dry heat. When seen in poor condition, the
responsible agents are almost always damp, physical
forces (poor handling), insects, pollutants, UV and light.
(This is not to justify outdoor exposure in desert sun.
This obviously destroys these materials in a few years,
due to very intense UV, and surface temperatures of
100°C or more in direct sun.)
Figure 16. Typical small museum and the ubiquitous modern air
conditioners. These often cause as much harm to artefacts as comfort
to visitors and staff. They often cause high RH where it never existed
before, and a source of water drips (condensation) where it never
existed before.
In maritime regions, i.e., near the sea or the ocean,
sustained damp can become a problem. In modern
European style buildings with storage below ground, and
a high water table due to a river nearby, then sustained
damp can also be a problem. In the author’s experience,
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the single most common cause of damp in small
museums in hot climates is air-conditioning equipment,
as in figure 16. It invariably malfunctions, and the sad
fact is that air-conditioning often brings the first
exposure of museum collections to high relative
humidity (and another source of water leaks). Always
keep artefacts sensitive to water or damp away from air
conditioners. If you plan to install a new air-conditioner,
monitor the rh before installing for some weeks or
months if possible, and then monitor carefully after
installing and operating the air-conditioner.
Humidity fluctuations pose a moderately high risk,
and some examples of risk assessment were provided in
the section Examples of specific risk assessments and
individual solutions 6. The concept of “proofed rh”
introduced in that section is critical to an estimate of risk
from fluctuating rh. Note that an air-conditioner, for
example, if it introduces new and larger rh fluctuations,
may exceed the proofed rh of your collections.
In any situation where relative humidity is in question,
human perception is generally unreliable (except for
extreme damp.) Relative humidity must be measured
(Detect stage) in order to make an accurate risk assessment.
Museum pollutant guidelines
Airborne pollutants are gas, liquid, or solid contaminants
carried by the air that are known to cause damage to
objects. Most of us are familiar with external sources such
as urban pollution, desert sand, sea-spray, but museums
must also consider internal sources, such as building
materials and packaging materials that emit gases.
Traditional guidelines on museum pollutant
specifications followed two lines of reasoning: natural
levels don’t appear very harmful, and, when in doubt, ask
for the best available filtering systems. Thomson (1986)
proposed the benchmark of naturally occurring
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pollution levels, since it had been observed that archive
collections far from urban areas could survive
undamaged for centuries, while those in urban locations
often suffered within decades. This was a useful
approach for pollutants that occur naturally at some
significant level, such as sulphur dioxide and ozone, but
it was not useful for pollutants that occur naturally at
extremely low levels. For such pollutants, there was a
tendency simply to ask for “best available technology” in
specifications of mechanical systems. In practice, very
few museums actually built best-available systems.
Recently, Tétreault at the Canadian Conservation
Institute introduced a risk management approach to
pollutant guidelines, based on the concept of “observable
adverse effect” (OAE). He coined the related terms No
Observable Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) and Lowest
Observable Adverse Effect Dose (LOAED). These terms
have been incorporated in the pollutant guidelines in the
ASHRAE engineers’ handbook, (ASHRAE 2004) and
are explained in detail in a comprehensive manual on
pollution by Tétreault (2003). Whatever the formal
terms, however, one can recognize the same risk concept
as used in lighting guidelines, that of a noticeable, or
observable, loss. More precisely, it is a “just noticeable”
or “just observable” loss. The artefact will then continue
to fade or tarnish or decay for many more doses. In the
case of light fading, for example, it takes about 30 to 50
more such doses before all colour is lost. While data
presented in the form of “just observable effect” is useful
in setting targets, it must be used carefully in a general
risk survey, because it defines the beginning, rather than
the end, of a cumulative risk. Fortunately, the risk
assessment scales can cope with this difference, as
clarified in some of the examples earlier.
Applying pollutant guidelines becomes very complex
very fast. Unlike light, which is an agent with no
subcategories, and with only one type of risk, fading,
pollutants consist of dozens of particulates and gases,
each with different sources, different forms of risk,
different rates of damage, and different collections that
are attacked. Fortunately, there is a list of the basic
pollution problems which arise because either the
pollutant is very widespread in its damage, such as heavy
dust, or because a particular combinations of pollutants
and artefact materials lead to very rapid chemical
reaction. Museums have suffered from these situations
over and over. Table 4 lists these.
Note that the risk reduction methods collapse into just
two approaches, one for external pollutants, and one for
internal pollutants. External sources are controlled
primarily by the Block stage, and internal sources are
controlled primarily by the Avoid stage.
Consider the problem of colorants in manuscripts.
Research has shown that pollutant levels at the worst
levels observed in urban situations can completely fade
the most sensitive colorant in about a year, if the
colorant is freely open to the polluted air. We know,
however, that watercolours and manuscripts have
survived very well over many centuries, even in some
cities with historically heavy pollution. Why? Because of
protection provided by a closed book, a sealed glass
frame, closed wooden box, a closed leather pouch, even
an envelope.
Scientific models show that compared to open air, a
tight glass frame or a tightly closed book can reduce entry
of the pollutant by a factor of 100 to 1000. In other
words, the worst urban pollution hazard that brings a risk
of complete colour loss in one year, is reduced to
complete loss in perhaps 300 years. Thus, on the risk
assessment scale, for the same urban pollution hazard, the
risk drops 2-3 points on the “how soon?” scale if a tight
glass frame is used. Furthermore, one can adjust all these
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Table 4. The basic pollution problems (abridged from Tétreault (2003) hypersensitive materials table, plus other sources)
Pollutants
Sensitive material
Risk
Hazards, Sources
Risk reduction methods
External sources (primarily)
Soiling.
Accelerated corrosion of bright
Blowing sand, dust. Urban
metals.
pollution, especially traffic.
Damage during subsequent
cleaning.
Particles, especially
silicates (sand) carbon
(smoke)
All artefacts, especially if
porous, complex surface.
Ozone
Nitrogen dioxide
Sulphur dioxide
Some colorants in
watercolours, illuminations
Colour fading
(indigo, crimson, basic fuchsin,
curcumin.)
Urban pollution especially
traffic
Enclose artefacts in airtight cases,
packages, cabinets.
Reduce outside air entry to
building, especially during peak
traffic, or peak dust storms.
Operate building system filters.
Internal sources (primarily)
Hydrogen sulphide
Silver
Rubber compounds.
Silver tarnishing, (and
Wool when exposed to UV.
subsequent abrasive cleaning.)
Humans.
Carboxylic acids
Lead.
Carbonates, such as shells.
Lead tarnishes.
Shells effloresce.
estimates by the benefits of closed buildings, which have
been shown to lower concentrations by three to ten times
below outdoor levels. The important point in all these
estimates, however, is that by far the most important,
most predictable, most cost-effective risk reduction was
the simple glass frame. Next we see how enclosures can
become the problem, not the solution.
A considerable body of conservation literature
addresses the issue of safe and dangerous display
materials, and how to test them, all reviewed in the text
by Tétreault (2003) and in his shorter publication on
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Avoid all listed sources inside
display cases.
Avoid all listed sources in rooms
Wood and wood fibre products. and furnishings.
Seal or coat any source used in
Oil and alkyd paints.
Water based paints while fresh. construction.
coatings (1999) A new and excellent database on the
web, provided by the Center for Conservation in
Quebec, Canada, describes the uses and dangers of many
materials used in museum exhibits and storage.
(http://preservart.ccq.mcc.gouv.qc.ca)
In the author’s experience surveying museums in Arabic
countries, the single-most common pollutant problem is
not urban gases, but particulates: sand and dust, augmented
often by carbon from diesel engines on buses and trucks.
Commonsense tells everyone that a closed case, closed
cabinet, closed envelope, box, whatever, reduces the risk of
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this hazard. In figures 8, 15, artefacts in cases are
successfully protected from dust, from any source.
Museums exhibit designers, however, often want open
display, or the museum simply lacks the resources to enclose
large objects. The daily cleaning of the museum then leads
to other problems outlined earlier in the section on housekeeping, and illustrated in figure 7.
Integrating management of all four agents
These four agents, pollutants, light/UV, incorrect
temperature, and incorrect humidity, have many features
in common, each of which suggests paths for
integration.
A All four are “scientific” agents of deterioration, the
ones of modern knowledge. The preceding five
agents (#1 to #5) are ancient in their understanding.
B All four can be measured precisely by scientific
instruments, or meters. In fact, unlike the
preceding five ancient agents, their intensity is not
easily estimated except by instruments.
C All four are strongly associated with engineering
and design of the building, and of exhibits and
storage fittings.
D All but light/UV move towards the artefact by air
movement.
E All but incorrect temperature can be blocked by
thin, low-cost, even delicate materials.
Implications of A and B. The fact that these agents are
scientific, and that they can be measured, has been a
double edged sword in museum integration. On the one
hand, modern conservators and scientists were
comfortable with scientific agents, learned how to
measure them, and had integrated them into a single
practical concept: “the museum environment.”
Museums accumulated a great deal of environmental
data, and even curators became familiar with light
meters and thermohygrographs. On the other hand,
conservators and their scientists tended to lose sight of
the more ordinary, unscientific hazards, such as poor
handling, pests, water, even dirt.
The museum should have access to a light meter, UV
meter, humidity meter, and thermometer. Many
countries have discovered the advantage of using a
central regional or national agency that lends these
instruments as a kit to smaller museums who don’t have
the resources to purchase or calibrate them. Pollutant
measurement is more complex. Some important indoor
museum pollutants can be measured using simple colour
dosimeters. External pollutants are usually measured by
other agencies, and the information can be obtained
from them. An excellent review of the possibilities of
pollutant measurement is in Tétreault (2003).
Implications of C and D: Integrated control of
museum climate and lighting will require mutual
understanding between designers of the all building
systems and all exhibition and storage systems.
Implications of E: Many risk reduction solutions to
contaminants, UV, light, and incorrect humidity require
little more than an opaque bag of clean material. Hence
one of the basic strategies listed in the List of Basic
Strategies earlier.
Conclusions: Keep going
The intent of this chapter has been to teach an attitude
and a skill that can lead to effective collection
preservation. It could not review all the necessary
information, only draw on useful examples. The
professions of conservator/restorer, and of conservation
scientist, however, are well served by a body of technical
literature, easily located through publications, and
increasingly, well served by the web (see the references at
the end of the chapter).
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surveying at all, and a possible future task for some of
them, of leading a complex survey of all risks to the
collection. The exhibit case they are all resting on while
they discuss and share light readings contains a coin
hoard, placed in the case by the designer to show how
archaeologists discovered them. It is a cemented mass of
corroded bronze and dirt, showing the classic pale green
colour of contaminated and actively corroding bronze,
resting in a case perched on one leg. Exercise: What are
the risks? How significant are they? How can you find
out? What would you advise the museum? We need the
report next week…
Figure 17. Teamwork and training. Young conservators and
conservation scientists during a training exercise in a museum. They
are learning the use of light meters and humidity meters, and some
basic elements of a collection survey. The case in front of them holds a
pile of bronze coins, fused together in a corroded mass with sand, and
displayed to show how such hoards are found by archaeologists.
What has struck the author repeatedly, throughout the
world of museums, is that in spite of great good will on the
part of staff, a remarkable fragmentation and inconsistency
in preservation strategies is the common. Long-term
effective preservation depends on risk management, on
integrated methods, on teamwork, and on sustainability.
Those responsible for preservation of collections must
understand these ideas, and gradually convince others in
the museum, before they can achieve them.
Figure 17 is a fitting place to end this chapter. It shows
a group of young conservators and conservation
scientists in Egypt, on a training exercise five years ago.
They are learning the use of environmental monitors,
such as light meters, and the basics of surveying an
exhibition building for this particular agent. It is a bridge
between their normal work, which involved no
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Appendices
Appendix 1. The visible facts: A suggested survey
path, basic set of observations, and set of
photographs
General comments: Although the photo sequence will
help organise photos, it is essential to record the photo
number alongside any notes about observations, and to
note in observations which room, which door, which
collection, etc.
Although the ultimate purpose of a risk assessment
survey is to discover the risks to a collection, remember
that the survey is only a first phase in collecting facts that
will be used to estimate significant risks to the
collections. Of course, during a survey one will see and
understand many risks, and this will help in collecting
the most useful observations, but make observations
even if the door or wall or packaging is “good”. In any
systematic survey, such as this one, or Waller’s (2003)
one makes estimates about all agents and all collections,
so that the report describes both the good and bad
aspects of current risk management of the collections.
Diplomatically, most museums like a report with some
positive observations!
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Site
Walk: Around the whole site, 10m to 50 m away from
the building
Photos: Overall views (wide angle) of site from front of
building, from left side, back, right side.
Observations to collect:
Type of buildings nearby, or attached? (source of fire,
water, thieves, vandals)
Slope of the land nearby, the height/distance to nearby
rivers and drains? (water)
What public water and drainage and sewage systems
can you see? Do they appear in good condition? (water)
Fire hydrants available nearby? (fire)
Lighting for night surveillance? (thieves, vandals)
Building Perimeter
Walk: Around the building perimeter, looking at the walls
and roof (If necessary, later get access to a view of the roof )
Photos: Overall views (wide angle) of front, right side,
back, left side, of the building.
Observations to collect:
Wall materials, gaps, quality of construction? Cracks?
Gaps? (block all agents of deterioration)
Wall vents? Do they have screens? (block pests, thieves)
Night lighting? Clear lines of sight? (thieves, vandals)
Perimeter near building clear of vegetation. Garbage
stored nearby? (pests)
Roof construction? Sloped or flat? Type of drain
system? Condition? Signs of failure? (water)
Any other obvious hazards related to the building
perimeter?
Doors and windows
Walk: Around the building perimeter, looking at the
doors and windows (If necessary, later get access to the
inside view of each door and window)
Photos: Identify each different type of door. Make at
least one photo of each type. Any doors with special
problems, make a photo. Take close-ups of locks, gaps,
any problems of poor condition (always take these in
sequence with the overall photo of that door/window.)
Observations to collect:
Door materials, locks, hinges, gaps, seals, quality of
construction? (ability to block all agents)
Window materials, locks, gaps, seals, screens, quality
of construction? (ability to block all agents)
Screens, curtains, blinds? (thieves, vandals, light, UV)
Where they open at the time? Why? (ask staff )
Any other obvious hazards related to the doors and
windows?
Non-collection rooms
Walk: Through all rooms and halls without any
collections
Photos: Wide angle view of each room, one towards
door, one opposite. Close-up of any relevant
observations.
Observations to collect:
Loading bays: type and height of access ramps (risk of
dropped artefacts)
Quarantine rooms: use, access (pests)
Janitors rooms, washrooms: sinks, plumbing, overflow
drains (water)
Food preparation and service rooms: as above, plus
garbage, cleanliness (pests)
Hallways, elevators: ease of access, obstructions,
cleanliness (physical forces in transit, pests)
Collection Rooms
Walk: Through each room with collections. Display first,
in visitor’s sequence, then storage. Within each room,
walk around the perimeter several times, looking
carefully, before making photos or notes. Finish all
rooms before surveying fittings or collections.
Photos: Wide-angle of each of 4 directions, each taken
from as far away as possible. First wall with door, then
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proceed clockwise. If the wall photos do not show all the
ceiling and floor, take separate photos of the ceiling and
floor. For each significant observation below, where a
particular risk is identified, take a close-up.
Observations to collect:
What floor (i.e., height above ground) is this? (water
risk from flooding)
What fire systems visible (sprinklers, portable,
detectors)?
Special mechanical systems? (pollutant, temperature,
rh, control, water)
Plumbing visible overhead, on walls, near floor?
(water)
Floor drains, placement, stop-valve, condition? (water,
draining, and backup)
Electric lighting systems, lamps types, lux levels
average, maximum?
Which doors and windows from the building survey
are used in this room? (ability to block all agents)
What wall materials, gaps, quality of construction?
(ability to block all agents)
Any other obvious hazards related to the room?
Fittings
Walk: In each room, identify the various types of fittings
(cabinets, cases, shelving, barriers for visitors). Make a
note of the number of each type, and how many are in
each room. It is not necessary to segregate similar
fittings, unless the difference has a significance to risk.
Photos: At least one overall photo of each type of
fitting, and some close-ups of construction, locks, gaps,
any examples of damage, or other risk issues.
Observations to collect:
Materials of construction, of glazing? (ability to block
agents, source of contaminants)
Quality and condition, gaps? (ability to block agents)
Security features, locks?
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Ability to shed water?
Stability against toppling, collapse? (physical forces,
vandalism)
Lighting fixtures, lamp type, lux levels, UV filters,
quality and condition? (UV, light, incorrect temperature
and rh, fire)
Any special control features for humidity, pollutants?
Any other obvious hazards related to the fitting?
Collections, supports, and packaging
Walk: By now in the survey, the collections will have
been observed several times while surveying the rooms
and fittings. It is a time to reflect on how to survey the
collections, their supports, and their packaging. The
purpose of this collection survey is not to capture a
detailed view of each artefact. That is one of the purposes
of a good catalogue. The purpose is to discover the
current pattern of risks. Some observations can apply to
all the collections, some observations can apply to one
special artefact, but only if it is very important.
Photos: Photos will now be associated with each
observation.
Observations to collect:
Type of supports, materials, quality, on how much of
the collection ? (physical forces, contaminants)
Type of packaging, materials, supports, on how much
of the collection? (ability to block many agents, source of
contaminants)
Finally, very important: What portions of the
collections are in what nested sequences of building,
room, fitting, support, and packaging (or partial
sequence, or on the floor, or outside, etc.? This will lead
to the identification and estimates of risk, and to
recommendations for improvements, in combination
with invisible facts of Appendix 2. Remember, this
survey pattern collects facts systematically, both positive
and negative, which then lead to risk assessments, low
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and high. One can choose instead, as do many
experienced surveyors, to only collect observations that
lead to estimates of significant risks. Better to report the
positive survey observations without a risk estimate (e.g.,
food garbage is removed daily to a location 30m from
the building) even if there is a related significant risk
elsewhere in the report (over a 2 week test, large numbers
of insects were collected in sticky traps in the collection
rooms, and these showed a clear increase at the wall
nearest the food service area. Fortunately none are
clothes moths, but a high probability of a clothes moth
infestation in the open textile collections is indicated
within a few years.)
Appendix 2: Basic list of invisible facts needed,
and their sources
Staff interviews
What damage has occurred in the past to the collections?
What were the circumstances?
For staff members inside and outside conservation,
what are their formal roles and responsibilities in
collection preservation? What are their opinions and
understandings of the practical realities?
Documents
What are the policies and procedures of the museum,
especially related to the collections?
What reports exist of prior risks, events, planning
reports?
Building, facilities, exhibits construction?
External data
External hazards, probabilities?
Answers to all the questions needed to complete the
various risk estimates?
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Appendix 3. Temperature and relative humidity specifications
Compiled by Michalski, S. Canadian Conservation Institute for use in the ASHRAE handbook, first published 1999, and later 2004 (ASHRAE 2004).
COLLECTION
TYPE
SETPOINT OR
ANNUAL
AVERAGE
MAXIMUM FLUCTUATIONS AND GRADIENTS IN
CONTROLLED SPACES
Class of control
Short* fluctuations
plus space
gradients
AA
±5%RH
Precision control, no
±2°C
seasonal changes
GENERAL MUSEUMS,
ART GALLERIES
LIBRARIES AND
ARCHIVES:
all reading and
retrieval rooms, rooms
for storage of
chemically stable
collections, especially
if mechanically
medium to high
vulnerability.
50%RH
(or historic annual
average for
permanent
collections)
T: A value between
15°C and 25°C
(Note that rooms
intended for loan
exhibitions must be
capable of the
setpoint specified in
any loan agreement,
typically 50%RH,
21°C, but sometimes
55%RH or 60%RH).
SPECIAL METAL
COLLECTIONS
RH: no change
up 5°C; down 5°C
±5%RH
±2°C
up 10%RH, down
10%RH
up 5°C; down 10°C
±10%RH
±2°C
RH: no change
up 5°C; down 10°C
B
Precision control,
±10%RH
some gradients plus
±5°C
winter temp.
setback
up 10%, down
10%RH up 10°C,
but not above 30°C
down as low as
necessary to
maintain RH control
A
Precision control,
some gradients or
seasonal changes,
not both
C
Prevent all high risk
extremes.
D
Prevent damp.
ARCHIVES
LIBRARIES
Storage of chemically
unstable collections
Seasonal
adjustments in
system setpoint
COLLECTION RISKS/BENEFITS
No risk of mechanical damage to most artefacts and paintings. Some
metals and minerals may degrade if 50%RH exceeds a critical RH.
Chemically unstable objects unusable within decades.
Small risk of mechanical damage to high vulnerability artefacts, no
mechanical risk to most artefacts, paintings, photographs, and
books.
Chemically unstable objects unusable within decades.
Moderate risk of mechanical damage to high vulnerability artefacts,
tiny risk to most paintings, most photographs, some artefacts, some
books and no risk to many artefacts and most books.
Chemically unstable objects unusable within decades, less if
routinely at 30°C, but cold winter periods will double life.
High risk of mechanical damage to high vulnerability artefacts,
moderate risk to most paintings, most photographs, some artefacts,
Within range 25%RH to 75%RH year-round
some books and tiny risk to many artefacts and most books.
T rarely over 30°C, usually below 25°C
Chemically unstable objects unusable within decades, less if
routinely at 30°C, but cold winter periods will double life.
Reliably below 75%RH
High risk of sudden or cumulative mechanical damage to most
artefacts and paintings due to low humidity fracture, but high
humidity delamination and deformations, especially in veneers,
paintings, paper and photographs will be avoided.
Mould growth and rapid corrosion avoided.
Chemically unstable objects unusable within decades, less if
routinely at 30°C, but cold winter periods will double life.
Cold Store: -20°C
40%RH
±10%RH
±2°C
Chemically unstable objects usable for millennia. RH fluctuations
under one month do not affect most properly packaged records at
these temperatures. (Time out of storage becomes the lifetime
determinant).
Cool Store: 10°C
30%RH to 50%RH
(even if achieved only during winter setback, this is a net
advantage to such collections, as long as damp is not incurred)
Chemically unstable objects usable for a century or more. Such
books and papers tend to low mechanical vulnerability to
fluctuations.
Dry room 0-30%RH
RH not to exceed some critical value, typically 30%RH
* Short fluctuations means any fluctuation less than the seasonal adjustment. As noted in the text under “Response times”, however, some fluctuations are too short
to affect some artefacts, or enclosed artefacts.
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Appendix 4. Sensitivity of coloured materials to light
This is an abbreviated version of the table compiled 1999 by Michalski, S. at the Canadian Conservation Institute, and published in CIE. (2004) For more detailed
lists of colorants under each category, see the CIE table. For textile dyes alone, see the table in Michalski (1997.)
Blue Wool
categories
High sensitivity to light
Medium sensitivity to light
Low sensitivity to light
No sensitivity to light f
Most plant extracts, hence most
historic bright dyes and lake
pigments in all media:g yellows,
oranges, greens, purples, many
reds, blues.
Insect extracts, such as lac
(yellow), cochineal (carmine) in all
media.g
Most early synthetic colours such
as the anilines, all media.
Many cheap synthetic colorants in
all media.g
Most felt tip pens including blacks.
Most dyes used for tinting paper
in this century.
Most photo colour prints with
“color” in the name. e.g.
Kodacolor
A few historic plant extracts,
particularly alizarin (madder red)
as a dye on wool or as a lake
pigment in all media. g It varies
throughout the range of medium
and can reach into the low
category, depending on
concentration, substrate, and
mordant.
The colour of most furs and
feathers.
Most photo colour prints with
“chrome” in the name, e.g.
Cibachrome.
Artists palettes classified as
“permanent” (a mix of truly
permanent AND low light
sensitivity paints , e.g. ASTM
D4303 Category I; Winsor and
Newton AA.)
Structural colours in insects (if UV
blocked).
A few historic plant extracts,
especially indigo on wool.
Silver/gelatine black and white
prints, not RC paper, and only if all
UV blocked.
Many high quality modern
pigments developed for exterior
use, automobiles.
Vermilion (blackens due to light)
Most but not all mineral
pigments.
The “true fresco” palette, a
coincidence with the need for
stability in alkali.
The colours of true glass
enamels, ceramics (not to be
confused with enamel paints).
Many monochrome images on
paper, such as carbon inks, but
the tint of the paper and added
tint to the carbon ink are often
high sensitivity, and paper itself
must be cautiously considered
low sensitivity.
Many high quality modern
pigments developed for exterior
use, automobiles.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Mlx ha for
noticeable fadeb
UV presentc
0.22
0.6
1.5
3.5
8
20
50
120
Probable Mlx ha
for noticeable
fadeb if no UVd
0.3
1
3
10
30
100
300
1000
Over 8
Explanatory notes to table:
The "Blue Wool categories" are the international standard (ISO) categories for specifying sensitivity to light, based on 8 blue dyes on wool, used as reference samples in most lightfastness tests.
a. Mlx h is the unit of light exposure, or dose. Megalux hours. It is light intensity (lux) multiplied by exposure time (hours)
b. A noticeable fade is defined here as Grey Scale 4 (GS4) , the step used in most lightfastness tests as noticeable. It is approximately equal to a colour difference of 1.6 CIELAB units. There
are approximately thirty such steps in the transition from a bright colour to almost white.
c. UV rich refers to a spectrum similar to daylight through glass. This is the spectrum generally used for the lightfastness data used to derive this table. The exposures here are the best fit to
data that varies about one Blue Wool step.
d. Exposures estimated for UV blocked light source are derived from a study on 400 dyes and the blue wool standards themselves. As such, it is only probable, and probably only for organic
colorants. These estimates show minor benefit of UV filtration for low sensitivity colorants, but large improvements for high sensitivity colorants. For conservative estimates, use the UV rich
scale.
f. "No sensitivity" to light does not mean guaranteed colour life. Many colorants in this group are sensitive to pollution. Many organic media will chalk or yellow or both if any UV is present.
g. The particular paint medium makes only small differences to fading rate, it is the colorant that matters in fading, not whether it is oil, or tempera, or watercolour, or acrylic. Media does,
however, make large differences to rate of discoloration from pollutants such as ozone and hydrogen sulphide.
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Display, Exhibits and Exhibitions
Yani Herreman
School of Architecture, National University of Mexico
Most people who go to museums do so with the idea of
visiting the exhibition halls, and will even try to see all of
them in a single visit, which is certainly not advisable.
Concentrating on just one particular gallery or even a
very specific object in a single visit can often be much
more enjoyable and satisfying.
The public displays and exhibitions are by far the most
popular parts of most museums. It is here that a direct
contact between the visitor and the museum’s collections
takes place. It is here where any individual, regardless of
age, social and economic status, alone or as part of a
group, has the opportunity and space to see the “real
object”, and with the help of certain exhibition
techniques to communicate or interact with it. Belcher
(1991) has very perceptively written that “Only
exhibition provides a controlled contact with the real,
authentic object, and this is what makes museum
exhibitions so vitally important”.
There are several definitions of the words display,
exhibit and exhibition. One leading dictionary, the
Webster Comprehensive Dictionary of the English
Language, defines display as “to show, to make apparent
to the eye or the mind”, exhibition as “showing of works
of art” while exhibit is described as “to present to view, to
display”. Definitions of the three terms vary according to
country and language: in Spanish all three are synonyms,
while in French and English they have slight or definitive
different meanings. There are also subtle differences in
definition and usage between North American English
and that of Britain and most other Anglophone countries.
Some leading specialist exhibition designers and
museologists have offered more detailed definitions,
including, for example: “An exhibition is a means of
communication aiming at large groups of the public
with the purpose of conveying information, ideas and
emotions relating to the material evidence of man and
his surroundings with the aid of chiefly visual and
dimensional methods” (Verhaar and Meeter,1989).
To a leading museologist (Burcaw, 1997) display is
“the showing of objects, depending on the interest of the
viewer in the objects themselves”, exhibit is defined as “a
more serious, important, and professional connotation
than display. It is the presentation of ideas with the
intent of educating the viewer, or, in the case of an art
exhibit, a planned presentation of art objects by an
informed person to constitute a unit”, while he defines
exhibition as “ an assemblage of objects of artistic,
historical, scientific or technological nature, through
which visitors move from unit to unit in sequence
designed to be meaningful instructionally and/or
aesthetically”.
My own definition (Herreman, in press). is “An
exhibition is a communication medium based on objects
and their complementary elements, presented in a
predetermined space, that uses special interpretation
techniques and learning sequences that aim at the
transmission and communication of concepts, values
and /or knowledge”.
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Types of displays
Exhibitions are classified according to different criteria.
Belcher (1997) gives several approaches to exhibition
types and discusses among other things the much used
term “permanent exhibition”, saying: “Permanent”,
meaning long term as opposed to “temporary”. As he
correctly adds, both terms are relative, since permanent
exhibitions are now extensively modified and/or
periodically exchange their displayed objects. This type
of exhibition is expected to last from ten to fifteen years.
In my forthcoming study (Herreman, in press), I
propose redefining what used to be called “permanent
exhibitions”. Since these are planned as part of a core
concept structure, storyline or discourse within a
museum, it would be better to call these “core”
exhibitions. From a design point of view this type of
exhibitions should use approaches that will not tire the
visitor, that will not quickly look old-fashioned, and
should use materials that will endure time.
In fact, nowadays there are a number of mainly smaller
sized museums that do not have or aim to have
“permanent” exhibitions, but instead take the
opportunity to present different themes and collections
using longer-term exhibitions that may last perhaps one
to three years, as with the Museum of Popular Cultures
in Mexico City. Others, such as the (very large) Musée de
la Civilisation, in Quebec City, has a very small core
exhibition while the main galleries are dedicated to
themed exhibitions lasting from a few months to a year
or two.
As for what a “temporary” exhibition means, Belcher
divides these into “short term”, that last from one to
three months, “medium term”: three to six months; and
“long-term” which are expected to last for an indefinite
period. Medium term or longer-term exhibitions can be
very successful. They do not have the constraint of
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needing to follow the museum´s overall display policy
and storyline, and they offer visitors the chance to see
something new within a specific time span. In terms of
design, they may use more contemporary and innovative
materials and presentation systems, indulge in more
attractive and fashionable solutions, but without
diminishing the object.
Other common modes include travelling exhibitions
that may be as simple as a single object or group of
objects through to “blockbusters” costing millions of
dollars to research, assemble and tour. This very wide
category also includes exhibitions that are designed and
circulated in buses, trucks or trains. These may be oneoff projects or a complete national system as with the
famous Swedish Rijskuntallningar the national travelling
exhibition service, which takes exhibitions of all sizes to
many locations throughout the country.
In general, travelling exhibitions aim to offer the
opportunity to see them to a greater and more diverse
population, in different locations. Because of its nature,
the design of the travelling exhibition needs to take several
issues into account, including the need for flexibility in
terms of layout, etc., so that it can be fitted into different
sizes and shapes of exhibition gallery, and ease of erection,
maintenance and mounting and dismounting, as well as
ease of transportation between venues.
“Blockbuster” exhibitions touring to perhaps three or
four different institutions (each of which contribute to
the cost) have become very fashionable since some
pioneering examples such as “Tutankahmen” and “The
Horses of San Marco, Venice” in the 1970s, and are now
characteristic of a globalised world. Most large museums
have organised and received this type of exhibition that
attract enormous numbers of visitors, frequently offering
them a unique opportunity to see rare and precious
objects, or a new perspective on the subject in focus.
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Obviously, these exhibitions have special design,
management, legal and conservation and security
requirements and problems which makes them very
expensive.
The object: interpretation within the exhibition
context
When we stand before a showcase and look at the objects
inside it, they will impact on us in different ways. They
may arouse interest, attract or repulse us, please us, or
make us want to know more about what is shown. These
responses vary from individual to individual and are
influenced by emotional and external situations. The
psychological and perceptual explanations of the
exhibition process are now being studied by researchers
in a number of fields, including psychology, education
and communication science.
But objects do not communicate by themselves. They
need the interpretative support that curators, educators
and designers give them. By these means a far larger
group of people, most of whom will probably not be
specialists in the subject, will be able to understand and
appreciate them. The museum object is normally
considered as a unique piece that represents many
different things, not necessarily beauty, but also history,
memory, identity or scientific information among other
things, to a person or group of persons. An object by
itself may not be significant but its context or history
may make it so. Putting this on exhibition helps
disseminate knowledge about the subject, collection and
individual objects, helping the general public or the
specialist visitor to understand and respect it more.
In the exhibition context interpretation means the
group of actions and elements that help explain the
content of the exhibition. Curators who carry out the
necessary research for an exhibition and the designer
who interprets and communicates this interpret the
group of objects and the knowledge and information
that they represent for the benefit of a larger audience.
The way that this is achieved and how real objects
convey meanings or become significant to their audience
is part of communication, and the techniques of modern
communication science including semiotics and
psychology are now applied as part of a design process.
We know that an object has different meanings
according to the context in which it is located, its
relations with other objects, the position where it is
displayed, the colours that surround it and even the
labels that are used.
Exhibition management in relation to other
museum activities
Planning, designing and producing an exhibition, either
a complete gallery or one individual showcase, depends
on effective teamwork. What we see when we enter an
exhibition gallery of a museum is the end product of a
long chain of linked organised processes and activities
carried out sometimes in sequence and sometimes
simultaneously.
Exhibitions must be managed in the same way as any
other activity within the museum. Thorough planning,
scheduling and budgeting are nowadays as important a
part of exhibition work as designing the exhibition itself;
good management and the effective use of resources
(including staff ) facilitates rather than inhibits good
exhibition design. However, because of the complexity
of these different tasks it is not surprising that a new
specialism of “Exhibition Project Manager” has appeared
recently as the person who is in charge of coordinating
the whole exhibition development and production
process and facilitating a constant dialogue between the
different parties involved.
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Who is or should be the Exhibition Project
Manager?
The size of the museum and, in particular, the number
and availability of staff and their specialisms affects this.
If the museum has the necessary professional and
managerial expertise in-house, either the curator or the
designer might also act as Exhibition Project Manager,
while in a small museum, the Director will, almost
certainly, also take on this responsibility. However, in
many museums, particularly those in developed
countries, exhibitions are frequently developed,
managed and implemented by either individual freelance
qualified specialist designers or specialised design
companies working under contract, in which case the
museum will usually nominate an appropriate member
of the staff to act as a contact person to work with the
“outside” planning and design team.
If there is an activity within a museum that is truly
interdisciplinary, it is exhibition design. The designer,
must work closely with the curator, the conservator, the
administrator and the educator as well as with the
electrician, carpenter, mason, and as many other
specialists as are needed, according to the type of
exhibition. In particular there will need to be close links
with public relations staff and with the security and
building maintenance personnel, for the publicity, and
the security and maintenance aspects respectively.
Design: the basic planning and designing process
As stressed previously, the making of an exhibition is a
complex process. This section aims to describe in a clear
and simple way, the main management and development
steps in creating a good display or exhibition. These
processes are basically the same regardless of size or
subject (see Box 1, and the commentary that follows).
However, the details will vary according to the museum’s
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staff and other resources and the specialist staff available
to participate.
The five stages in the design process
1. Planning
2. Research/Interpretation
3. Design
4. Production
5. Installation
Planning
Planning has been heavily researched and analysed by
academics, managers and designers. It has adopted
methods and systems from other disciplines, particularly
architecture, industrial process management and
computer programming. Planners and designers may
have different approaches to exhibition development but
agree on the core stages that are listed below. Exhibition
planning can be defined as the activities that will help
(a) determine the aims and feasibility of the desired
project, (b) organise the exhibition process taking into
account available human, technical and economic
resources as well as timelines and cost estimates.
Objectives of the display or exhibition
This first issue is of the highest importance since it will
guide all aspects of the exhibition. The “whole design”
concept focuses on what we want to achieve with the
exhibition. For example: do we want to enhance the
aesthetic features of the objects in the exhibition? Do we
want to assess and communicate their scientific or
historical importance? In the first case, our goal is to deliver
an aesthetic and enjoyable experience to the audience,
whereas in the second, the aim is a more educational one.
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Target audience
Knowing the audience is something that modern
museum practice considers absolutely basic in relation to
almost any kind of museum activity, and especially so in
relation to displays and exhibitions. These are the public
spaces where audiences come into contact with the
objects and the concepts or information that these
represent or illustrate. In addition to the necessary
understanding of the museum’s community, when
developing an exhibition project it is also advisable to
identify the target group or groups in relation to relevant
factors, taking into account the fact that any audience is
made up of many and varied types of individuals, with
differences in ages, levels of education, tastes and
interests. Obviously, a museum aims to serve as wide a
cross-section of the local population and other potential
visitors as possible. However, it will probably not be
possible to satisfy equally all the different interest groups
within an audience.
The responsive museum must therefore decide on, for
example, the expected reading and other communication
levels, and the degree to which the visitor may have prior
knowledge of the subject. For example, though most of
the time a “general” museum will want exhibitions
designed for what is usually called the “general public” –
probably adults with the average level of education and
literacy for that country or town, in other cases they may
want to give special attention to poorly educated adult
individuals, perhaps using very short and clear labels
with drawn or other visual explanations. This may well
be the case in many developing countries, and the
exhibitions produced would probably be also suitable for
schoolchildren between the ages of perhaps 9 and 13.
On the other hand, a university museum planning a
teaching exhibition for specialist students in the subject
would design the displays at a very different level, which
would take into account the expected prior knowledge
and abilities of that very different target audience.
Knowledge of the audience also enables the designer to
plan the necessary circulation spaces and clearances, as
well as rest spaces.
Feasibility
Exhibitions, as any other museum programme, must
undergo a thorough study of the possibilities before the
final policy decisions are taken.
Factors to be assessed and taken into account in an
exhibition feasibility study:
1 The objects to be displayed: availability, conservation
and security issues.
2 The space available: size; access possibilities, including
during installation and for disabled visitors when the
exhibition is open.
3 Available staff resources: in-house staff, outside
contractor or consultant, or a combination of the two.
4 Timing: within the museum’s overall programme of
exhibitions, events and other activities, time
requirements for planning and installing.
5 Cost: estimated project budget required, including
construction, transport, publicity, maintenance and
dismantling.
6 Who should be the core exhibition team, and how this
should be organised.
Exhibitions are the material outcome of a combination
of many diverse skills, and much knowledge, expertise
and experience, coupled with taste and even sensibility.
The participation of different specialists will be necessary
to achieve this, but not necessarily from the beginning.
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It is advisable to start the planning activity with a basic
or core working team that will include the specialist
curator or curators, the designer, the conservator and the
education officer. Within this small group, a coordinator
will be assigned as Exhibition Project Manager. In this
initial stage, tasks will be assigned to each member
according to their expertise.
Likely make-up of the exhibition project team,
(what designers call the “exhibition team”, “exhibition
committee” or “work group”)
This is likely to include some or all of the following
categories of staff (or outside consultants), depending on
the size and nature of the proposed exhibition or new
display:
Administrative
Board members
director
project manager
Professional
Technicians
curator(s)
photographer
conservator
lighting engineer
designer(s)
sound engineer
education specialist
Craftspeople
preparators
electricians
mounting team, etc.
security engineer
Probably only very large museums with a heavy
exhibition programme and big enough budget to carry it
out will have so many specialists in-house. But even if this
is the case, many institutions nowadays prefer to work
jointly with an outside contractor. In a medium to small
size museum most of the projects may well be contracted
out. In this case a number of suitably qualified and
experienced design and exhibition contractors submit a
Proposal document with an outline approach, a sketch
design, costings and a proposed timetable for the different
elements of the job, and the contractor’s proposed fee for
the design and exhibition management. If the project is to
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be carried out by an in-house Design and Exhibition
Department it is just as necessary that similar plans and
costings are produced at the planning stage.
It is important that in either case the budgets include
realistic estimates of not just the money required, but
also the human, material and time resources that will be
required. After the project and method of working have
been chosen, the in-house exhibition team will act as a
steering committee, while the Exhibition Project
Manager becomes the contact person between the core
group and the in-house or contractor’s full team.
In the case of a very small community or site museum
where there is no possibility of developing or
constructing our exhibitions with permanent or in-house
specialists such as a conservator, an educator and a
designer, the Director, who will most probably be a
curator, may take on the role of the Project Manager. It
may well be that such a museum may seek the support of
another, larger institution, be it a museum or a university
to help with curatorship, design and construction.
Another important element of planning is to estimate
the time required for each exhibition design stage and to
coordinate each with other parts of the project. Time
charts and network diagrams are generally regarded as
the most suitable tools for this.
The aim of the planning team should be to produce a
written document (the Planning or Exhibition Brief )
which sets out the exhibition’s objectives and goals,
concept, target audience, working team and method of
working, feasibility study results, description of the
planning process, timing and a draft budget.
Developing the Exhibition
Once an exhibition brief has been agreed, appropriate
members of the team move on to developing the details of the
concept, particularly the proposed objects, data and
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Creating the Planning Brief.
The Planning Brief for a display or exhibition aims to help
the exhibition process by clarifying goals, the exhibition
concept, time schedules and the human and financial
resources needed. It is also most useful in presenting the
project before decision makers, patrons or Boards and is
also a basic tool for fund raising.
Typically the following will need to contribute to the
development of the planning brief, and all subsequent
stages in the exhibition process:
1 Decision makers, particularly the director and Board or Ministry: for official
approval and general administrative support
2 The project manager or general coordinator: coordinates the initial process
and acts as a link person between different specialists
3 Specialist Curators for the subject area: research and determine the concept
and are the main people responsible for the content of the exhibition brief
4 Conservator: advises on general and special conservation requirements
5 Designer: advises on general design and interpretation solutions and on the
effective use of space
6 Education specialist: advises on general educational aspects, such as
relating the displays to the school curriculum, and communication matters,
such as readability in relation to literacy level
7 Buildings and Security staff: advise on all aspects of the use of the building
including such issues as safe floor loadings, access for equipment and
contractors, as well as the safety, access and security aspects of the project
8 Administrative or Finance staff: help to prepare a first estimate of costs and
labour and monitors the budget throughout the whole process, also contract
and purchasing details for all works and supplies, including equipment,
materials, outside contractors, freelance or consultant and temporary staff
information that will be presented in an exhibition. This will
probably involve some special research by curators to update
knowledge of and the interpretation of the collections and
themes to be included. At the same time the design, education
specialists, and perhaps marketing staff also, may need to
undertake research into the actual and potential audience and
different approaches to interpretation and communication.
Typical responsibilities of the curator in relation to
exhibition development
Primarily the curator’s duties are to:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Establish concept
Develop thematic and scientific script
Select objects or works of art and illustrations
Carry out or supervise necessary documentation
Write information panels and label content, and other written information
Advise designer in developing design storyboard
Advise designer in developing graphic system design
Supervise development of graphics
Supervise construction of support materials
Supervise installation or mounting of exhibition
Write the catalogue or guide
However, this needs to be a team effort, and it is advisable
that the following team members should also participate with
the curator(s): specialist external advisors on thematic
issues, an interpretation expert, a documentalist, a
conservator, and a museum educator. The designers may be
invited but may not participate so actively at this early stage.
Approaches to story or theme development may differ.
Some specialists prefer a more descriptive method while
others, including myself, favour a system borrowed from
film-making. Using this model, the aim is to develop the
“script” (the term often preferred by curators) or
“storyboard” (the term usually preferred by designers as
it may include sketches and other visual indicators as
well as the text).
Whatever the name given to it, this aims to be a
comprehensive document that lists, in strict sequence, the
different sections of the exhibition; themes and subthemes are classified and arranged hierarchically. It
includes details of objects or artifacts to be used, graphic
material, and all supporting elements such as dioramas,
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models, replicas and hands-on units. In the Design
Storyboard every physical component of the exhibition is
given a code that will serve as its identification throughout
the fabrication and installation processes. There may be a
more complex version of the storyboard that adds a
description of educational and communication objectives.
Exhibition systems
Many big and well-financed museums have flexible
standardised, often modular, exhibition and display
systems including showcases, movable walls and display
screens and panels which allow multiple use and in
different ways. Such museums are likely to design and
build much of both their long-term (“permanent”)
displays and temporary exhibitions around such a
system, using the available display elements and modular
prefabricated cases.
On the other hand, for special occasions or particular
requirements, specially designed and constructed
exhibition designed systems and furniture may be
needed or desired. These may be produced in-house or
be contracted out. Small museums may find it easier to
have their basic exhibition cases made in-house or by
local contractors though, with a view to their eventual
re-use in other displays or exhibitions. If designed
correctly, there is no reason why these cannot be used
several times over. The other basic design goal is to find
the right balance between objects and their designed
setting, which should never be more prominent than the
objects themselves.
It is extremely important to underline consideration of
three vital elements in the design process. The first is the
importance of preventive conservation. The specialist
conservator’s presence during the whole designing process,
closely advising the designers and preparators, is essential
for a truly successful exhibition. Second, we can never
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overestimate security and conservation requirements for
objects on display and while being handled in transit to
the display, whether this is just a few metres from the
museum storage to the display case, or half way round the
world in the case of an important object borrowed for a
major temporary exhibition. The third is the need to take
into account future exhibition maintenance when
preparing the design, remembering that circulation and
resting areas have to be cleaned as well as the showcases.
The way in which these everyday routines can be carried
out should be one of the designer’s determinants, since
keeping an exhibition area clean is a basic requirement to
achieve satisfactory conservation and safety standards.
The Design Process
Using the storyboard as a guide, the designer should then
proceed to:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
evaluate and allocate exhibition space according to storyboard themes
and other visual and communication needs
determine circulation space needed, including disabled access
requirements, security needs and official legal norms such as fire
escapes
examine and distribute objects by units, sections, subsections that
correspond to themes and sub-themes in the script and storyboard
consult the conservator or curator on every collection-related issue
consult education specialists for information level and educational
structure of the storyline
design the exhibition furniture system: panels, free standing exhibit
showcases, screens, case shelves, block cases, table cases, wall hung
panels and other wall mounted elements.
design the graphic and printed system; determine the colour scheme,
distribution and placement.
design lighting systems. Consult with specialist and conservator
design sound systems. Consult with specialist and education specialist
design other special installations (if needed). Consult with specialist and
conservator.
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Production and Materials
It is the manufacturing or fabrication processes of the
different elements that in the end create an exhibition.
These can be divided into building work and specialised
production. The first covers such activities as masonry
and brickwork, plasterwork, basic electrical, video and
audio installation, wiring and fixed furniture
manufacturing, while the second includes more
specialised work such as graphics, reconstructions,
model-making, artwork, etc.
Main elements of Production Work
Building works
1
2
3
4
5
Spaces. Walls, partitions or ceilings, if required by the storyboard, within
the assigned exhibition area.
Physical preparation of exhibition space: plaster work, painting, electrical
installation. Conservation counsel is advised
Carpentry and plastics
Furniture and any supporting element.
Glass and acrylic elements for showcases.
Specialised work
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8
9
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Graphics: charts, maps, drawings, labels, display unit titles
Reproductions and replicas
Models and dioramas
Walk-through sets and reconstructions
Period rooms
Costume mannequins
Object supports
The budget, time and expertise available are a
determining factor. Small museums may have excellent
exhibitions based on simple wood or plywood panels
that may be easy and inexpensive to produce, while
museums with more substantial exhibition budgets may
prefer more sophisticated materials. The important thing
to remember is that whatever system or material used,
the curator, conservator and security specialist must be
involved in the decision-making, and that the exhibition
structure needs to be easily assembled and disassembled
and accessible for everyday cleaning.
Completing the exhibition
Once all building work, electrical wiring, decorating, wall,
floor platform and panel fixing, and fixed showcase
assembly has been completed the free-standing showcases
and wall-mounted furniture and exhibit structures are put
into place. The working area then has to be thoroughly
cleaned, including the glass or acrylic glazing for cases and
other display units, and the lighting is tested.
Then the fixing of title panels, other text and graphic
units, illustrations and photographs can be carried out
by the design team or contractor, after which the
installation of the original objects by the curators or
conservators can begin. Any costume figures are dressed
at this stage and finally the lighting is adjusted and tested
for both effectiveness in terms of illumination, and of
safe lighting levels according to agreed conservation
needs. Finally, the curator, conservator, education
specialist, designer and any other specialists, and usually
the director also, review the display or exhibition and
approve the final result. After this the showcases are
closed and there is a further full cleaning of the
exhibition space ready for the opening to the public.
Evaluating the finished exhibition
It is most advisable that each new display or major
temporary exhibition be evaluated using recognised
methods. Most rely on evaluation as soon as possible
after the opening: this will identify quickly any major
mistakes or problems, such as circulation difficulties so
that necessary modifications can be carried out.
However, one of the leading researchers into exhibit
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effectiveness, Chandler Screven (1985), has described a
method to carry out the process during the exhibition
installation, before it is open to the public, and therefore
discover and correct mistakes and problems at the
earliest possible date. Evaluation is also always very
important in helping to find better solutions and
working systems for the future.
Exhibitions and museum communication and
education
The public displays and exhibitions are the museum’s
most important means of communication. Its potential
and capacity for communication is therefore the major
issue to keep in mind when planning and designing an
exhibition, whatever the theme, mode or type.
There is now a very wide range of mass communication
technology resources that can be applied to exhibition
design, and many of these are becoming relatively
inexpensive. A good designer will seek to enhance
communication by creating attractive displays that place the
emphasis on the desired highlights in terms of the objectives
of the exhibition, often by drawing on experience from
theatre illumination techniques. The aim throughout must
be to motive the visitor and enhance curiosity.
Educational psychology fundamentals have also been
integrated to exhibition design as well as didactics,
semiotic concepts, graphic design principles and, of
course, art and aesthetics. One distinguished museum
designer, the late Michael Belcher (1991), says that
exhibitions are conceived as sculpture, though I would
argue that they are even closer to architecture, since forms,
solids, voids, colour, texture, together with technical
instruments and processes, conform the exhibition that
aims at communicating concepts, feelings, facts or
pleasure. Indeed, in a number of major countries around
the world museum exhibition design is mainly carried out
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by architects, rather than by professionals specially trained
as museum or interior designers.
Museum exhibition is essentially a form of visual
communication. It achieves this through the museum
objects and works of art, aided by the use of graphics and
written information in the form of text panels, captions
and individual object labels. The ultimate aim should be
to communicate the message of the display or exhibition
in a clear and precise visual and written language, easy to
understand at whatever level or levels of interpretation
are intended, just as in a good newspaper or magazine.
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UNIT 2
2. THEME 2. History and fundaments
2.1. Subtheme: From Prehistory to Industrial Revolution
Message
Exhibition material
Display technique
Introduction label on
To explain the
historical development… convenience of initiating
the museum visit…
To show historical
perspective to better
understand…
Label
Silk screen
Relation between Sun
movements and
climate…
In the past, solar energy
Label
was not exploited
Illustration
artificially, our ancestors… Object
Subunit
Observations
2.1.1. Introduction
2.1.2. The Sun
Minimum recommended circulation width
Goal
To show that primitive
people recognized the
importance…
Silk screen or digitalized
images
Recommended cone of vision
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Ergonomic standards for wheelchair users (1)
Ergonomic standards for wheelchair users (2)
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Free-standing showcases
Wall-mounted showcases. Issues to take into acccount when selecting
type of showcase: 1. maintenance; 2. security; 3. conservation;
4. costs; 5. visibility; 6. easy handling.
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Caring for the Visitor
Vicky Woollard
Senior Lecturer, City University London
Introduction
Both national policy makers and individual staff
throughout the museum need to place the visitor at the
centre of the museum, its services and resources.
This chapter aims:
to set the background to the rise of visitor services and
offer definitions to certain terms and phrases;
to discuss the benefits of implementing services which
will deliver a quality experience for all visitors;
to look at how one collects information about visitors,
their views and experiences;
to discuss the needs of different visitor groups, actual
and potential;
to outline the management issues in running a Visitors
Service;
to look at a typical visit made by a visitor as a check list
for museums staff to use.
The aim is to guide the reader through the fundamentals
for setting up and running a quality visitor services for a
large or small museum.
Definitions:
What are visitor services?: These are provisions that the
museum makes in the physical, intellectual and social sense
to enable the visitor to have an informative, pleasant and
comfortable visit. Good visitor services reduce levels of
frustration, discomfort and fatigue, and help the visitor to
enjoy the exhibitions and events. Without good visitors
services the opportunities for enjoyment and learning are
radically reduced, and the number of return visits will fall.
Box 1
Just sit and think for a moment or two. Where have you
recently received good service: a hotel, a shop, on board a
train or aeroplane, at a bank or perhaps a government
office? What did the service consist of? How did you
assess whether the service was good or not? Did you
receive a welcoming smile, clear and accurate information,
clean and working facilities, the sense that time was given
to your query? Were your expectations exceeded?
What sort of service and experience do visitors receive at
your museum? Are their expectations exceeded?
Exercise 1: For all staff: each staff member contributes to
two lists naming the characteristics they think contributes
to making a quality service and a poor service. Through
discussion get agreement as to which are the top 10
positive characteristics and have these as the basis of
establishing a standard all staff will support.
What is access? Visitor services are central to the
coordination of public access to the museum. Access is
giving the visitor the opportunity to use facilities and
services, view displays, attend lectures, research and
study the collections, and to meet staff. This does not
only mean physical access, but also includes access at the
appropriate intellectual level that is free from social and
cultural prejudice.
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Background
Over the past two decades, museums have increasingly
moved the needs and expectations of their visitors up to
the top of their agenda. This concern and the effort to
offer a range of quality visitor experiences has arisen
from a number of factors.
Firstly, visitors, both local and international, themselves
have become more sophisticated and selective about
where they wish to spend their money and limited leisure
time. The expectation of being given value for money has
increased the expectation of having a good day out. Even
if admission is free they wish to be assured that the time
and effort they put into a visit will be rewarded through
being entertained, learning something new and feeling
welcome and comfortable in the surroundings.
There is now plenty of competition to attract visitors
away from museums. Museums therefore need to keep
their current visitors and encourage new ones as they
have found that the additional income generated from
the shop, events and from refreshment sales, provides
much needed additional financial resources. The rise in
visitor figures are a crude but emphatic measure of
success and, if sustained, demonstrate clear visitor
satisfaction. But also at a deeper level there needs to be a
commitment to social responsibility, nation building
and cultural identity.
Museums themselves have recognised that in order to
be considered a valid and active participant in their
society, they must be accessible to all, of real use by
giving value in terms of providing resources for
intellectual refreshment and debate and spaces for
contemplation and inspiration.
For governments, at local and national level, there is
pressure to demonstrate to the citizens that their taxes have
been spent wisely and the public benefit is visible and
tangible. Tourism can also be a key factor in raising both
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national and museum income, and museums and heritage
are frequently central to the tourist package. Investment in
museums is vital if these are to provide the standards that
experienced global tourists now expect to receive.
What are the benefits for museums?
Before one launches major management changes and
investment of resources, the museum needs to be
convinced that there will be benefits from providing
quality visitor services. These benefits can be immediate
or be developed over time.
Raising staff morale: When a member of the public says
‘thank you’ to a member of staff, leaves with obvious signs
of pleasure, or writes praiseworthy notes in the visitors’
book, instantly it will have a positive reaction. Such
expressions of visitor satisfaction, if shared and praised will
raise staff morale and in turn create enthusiasm and
renewed energy to tackle challenges corporately. The
museum gains a positive spirit to move forwards.
Marketing potential: With visitors feeling that their
time was spent well, felt welcomed and encouraged to
return, they become ‘publicity agents’. They are likely to
tell their friends and colleagues, and return with visiting
relations. Most marketing and publicity specialists will
say that recommendation by word of mouth is the most
effective form of advertising. And of course it comes free!
Forming support (or “Friends”) groups: Satisfied and
enthusiastic visitors can become longer term supporters
who will support the museum by giving time, and/or
money to help the museum achieve its ambitions.
Supporters can be volunteers, individuals giving up their
spare time: for example repacking collections, assisting
on the information desk, or supporting staff in
organising the library. Supporters can also be individuals
who donate money or help to raise funds for the
purchase of collections or for improving facilities. They
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can become ‘critical friends’- those who have your
interests at heart but feel confident to offer alternative
views and suggestions. This critical look at the museum’s
activities is vital to sustain and improve standards. Some
supporters may have useful connections with other
professional or business groups and so give advice on
specialist areas such as education or interior design.
Advocacy: Investment in creating long term relationships
with the local neighbourhood is crucial for any museum
who wishes to demonstrate its value to society. All
museums will need to have support from its public and
that support must be maintained and developed by
allocating staff time and resources. Museums are not
unfamiliar with financial cutbacks. But the demonstration
of a loyal group of visitors and local community can
provide persuasive evidence to politicians, businesses and
the press that yours is a successful organisation and worth
investing in.
Professionalism: Serving visitors and other audiences
is part of the very essence of a museum. The uniqueness
of collections and their place in the understanding,
research and interpretation of the past needs to be made
public in order to gain confirmation of their importance.
Regardless of their employer, as a profession, staff are in
effect public servants and publicly accountable for the
care, management and interpretation of these collections
for the benefit of society. Neglecting the public is the
equivalent of neglecting the collections in terms of a
museum’s basic responsibilities.
What are the underpinning principles for
providing quality visitor services?
Politicians, government officials, museum staff and the
public all need to understand the fundamental values of a
museum which inform and shape current and future
policies and plans. Some examples which readers may like
to consider appropriate according to their circumstances
in relation to actual, virtual and potential visitors:
1
Human rights and equal opportunities
2
Open consultation with all stakeholders,
3
An integrated visitor services policy and strategy
4
The quality of the visitor’s experience (actual or
virtual) as the professional responsibility of all staff
1.Article 37 of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights 1948 states:
“Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural
life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in
scientific advancement and its benefits.” Part of that right
of participation in the cultural life is the right to access
museums, and their collections, displays, services and
facilities, without any discrimination on grounds of age,
sex, religious or cultural beliefs, disabilities or sexual
orientation.
2.Open consultation with all its stakeholders
For a museum to fully understand the needs of its
audiences and visitors, it has to be in touch with its
various audience groups and others with a legal, financial
or moral interest in them (nowadays often referred to as
“stakeholders”). These are all those people who would
directly or indirectly be affected by the action of a
museum including employees, government officials, the
local or national community, researchers and other
museum professionals as well as the visitors. A number
of museums have set up consultation arrangements with
their identified stakeholders, either by seeking out
individuals with particular expertise (but not necessarily
museum visitors) or through working with groups that
regularly visit the museum, such as schoolteachers and a
“Friends of the Museum” organisation.
Such groups and individuals can be invited to respond
to just a single issue, say a temporary exhibition, or to
maintain contact over a longer period of time, perhaps
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contributing to the planning of disabled access or of
educational materials. This has become particularly
relevant for some children’s museums/centres, which
have developed a council of children/young people who
regularly meet with staff to discuss a range of issues,
ranging from what is sold in the café to what should be
the museum’s logo. This consultation can save the cost of
spending on ideas, material or equipment that may not
be appreciated, desired or needed.
3.Providing an integrated policy and strategy for
visitors’ services.
The use of advisors and visitor groups would be a key
part of a museum’s visitor services policy. The role of
such a policy is to lay down the guiding principles and
the desired goals the museum wishes to achieve for its
visitors. The policy should be accompanied by a strategic
plan which shows how resources (staff and financial) will
be used to realise these goals over a set period of time.
Please look at the reference section for sites that discuss
visitor service/access policies.
Box 2
Some key issues to consider in developing a visitor
services policy statement:
1. Underpinning principles for visitor services policies
2. Staff responsibilities across the museum for delivering, monitoring and
reporting procedures
3. Analysis of the various ways in which the museum, its collections,
galleries, services and facilities are made accessible to both general
visitors and specialised visitors and users
4. Standards which the museum aims to achieve
5. Staff training needs and achieving these
6. Ways of consulting and evaluating the visitor and their experience
7. Communication systems and channels
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4.The care of the visitor (actual or virtual) is the
responsibility of every member of staff
There needs to be a strong lead from senior management
to ensure that all staff understand that each should
contribute in creating the best environment for visitors
to access and enjoy the collections and building. It is not
only those staff who have direct contact with visitors on
a daily basis who are responsible. It is just as much the
responsibility of those who work “behind the scenes”,
whether a cleaner, cataloguer or finance officer.
Understanding and responding to visitors’ needs should
always be taken into account in the planning and
delivery of work of “behind the scenes” staff too. For
example, museums are recognising that, thanks at least
in part to the development of museum websites, there is
an increase in public enquiries and research about the
collections. Because of this, staff are having to reconsider
the whole process of recording information on each
object so that in future this can be easily transferred from
the museum catalogue or other database to the web page
in a format that will be easy to access and digest: in
future the catalogue may need to be redesigned so that it
is visitor friendly rather than registrar friendly.
Defining and Understanding the Visitor
To become a visitor-orientated museum it is vital that
you are first aware of the range of visitors that you
currently serve (actual visitors), and who you wish to
attract in the future (potential visitors). If you have a
website you would also have virtual visitors.
Potential visitors are also those who are far less likely to
visit museums, for example people with disabilities,
families with young children and toddlers, people with
low incomes and cultural minority or recent immigrant
communities. Many of these people may not have
experienced a museum before and so have very little idea
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of what an attractive and effective museum may offer
them. For some there may be barriers (actual and
perceptual) that prevent them from coming. These may
be financial, such as unaffordable entrance charges,
physical, such as flights of stairs at the entrance and as
part of the internal circulation, or social or psychological,
such as a reputation that the museum staff do not like
visitors with young children. The museum staff need to
analyse honestly and consult about actions needed to
remove these barriers. Visitor services can enable the
museum to gain a positive reputation.
Virtual visitors are those who relate to, and use, your
museum by visiting your website, through correspondence
or by mail order purchases from the shop. Many museums
were at first concerned that visitor numbers would drop if
they provided Internet access to the services, collections
and even the exhibitions, but experience now shows that
these fears were unfounded. In fact the web has been seen
to raise people’s awareness to museums, encouraging them
to make an actual visit. Those planning to visit the
museum find an informative website an excellent way of
preparing for the visit in advance.
Researching your visitors
Visitor surveys tell you about your visitor, their visiting
patterns, needs and attitudes. The results from these
surveys inform you as to how you should plan for the
future. Visitor surveys fall into two types: qualitative and
quantitative.
Qualitative studies give information on how people
respond to the museum experience. These studies allow
people to express their opinions or attitudes, or to be
observed in how they manage their time and route
through the galleries. Quantitative studies are about
gathering statistical data such as how many people live
within a certain distance from the museum, how many
Box 3
KNOWING YOUR ACTUAL VISITORS
Actual Visitors (those who come through the door): the
more you know about your visitors the better you will be
able to plan ahead and prepare for them.
1. Do you know who your current visitors are?
2. Which of these and how many make repeat visits?
3. How does your current visitor profile reflect that of the local
communities? Is it the same or different? Do you think that it should
reflect the profile of your local communities? How many of them come
on their own rather than in family or other groups?
4 How many are local visitors, and how many are tourists from outside the
region?
5 Are you aware of any seasonal trends in visiting?
6 Are there differences in numbers and types at different times of the
week/month/ year?
come by public transport or by car, or to find out the
percentage of tourists to local residents. Most museums
use a combination of both types through a range of
collection methods such as one to one interviews with
open ended questions, through focus groups or tracking.
Using visitor surveys requires planning. An important
point to consider at the outset is what are the objectives of
the study and what will become of the information
gathered. These questions will determine the type of
survey you set up and the questions you will be asking.
Also you need to think about how the data will be
presented for ease of access (a report, a grid of figures, a list
of recommendations) and to which audience (e.g.
government, staff or exhibition designers). You need to
bring together all previously collected information to
ensure there is no duplication. Or you may wish to use
that information as a base to show trends over a number
of years, in which case you will need to be careful to collect
data according to the same criteria in successive surveys.
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BOX 4: EXERCISE 1. Getting to know your potential
and virtual visitors
Either in small groups of staff, or individually, use the notes
below to analyse the possibilities for turning potential
visitors into actual visitors, and for developing and
expanding a community of “virtual” visitors.
Potential visitors (those non-visitors who you would like to
attract to your museum). They may well fit the profile of your
current visitors (let us say researchers), but you are aware
that many more could make use of your study facilities).
1. What do you need to do to attract new visitors or various types (e.g.
scholars and researchers, families with children, organised groups from
schools and colleges ?
2. Are your opening hours convenient for general visitors or special groups,
such as students and researchers wanting to view the reserve
collections?
3. Are details of opening hours and arrangements for special access to
collections easily available?
Virtual visitors (those accessing the museum or its facilities
and information through the Internet or by mail)
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
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If you already have your own museum website, look at this to see how
user and visitor friendly they are.
How many clicks does it take to get to the visitor information?
Is it clear from the images and the style of writing that the visitor is
welcomed?
Does the museum recognise different needs of its visitors?
Does the website suggest that consciously or subconsciously the
museum has a hierarchy of visitors, considering researchers first and
families last?
If you do not yet have your own website, examine several websites of
similar museums in different countries and regions, and evaluate them
using questions (5) to (8) above.
Use these analyses to improve your own website or to prepare the
specification for your future museum website.
BOX 5: SOME VISITOR RESEARCH TECHNIQUES
Questionnaires: These are carried out by visitors on their
own completing a short list of questions, perhaps by ticking
the appropriate box. More complex questions that may
need more than one word answers usually require an
interviewer to ensure that it is completed and also relieves
the visitor from writing themselves. The offer of
refreshments or a small gift from the shop will help people
to relax and is recognition of the favour they are giving you.
Focus groups: These are groups of 5-9 people drawn from
the general public who are invited in advance to share their
thoughts on certain issues or developments; such as
asking parents what they think are the important features
required to making a visit successful. This is good for
exploring ideas in depth and for gaining people’s interest in
your work. However it is time consuming and needs some
skill in managing the group so that all feel that they have
been able to contribute fully. Participants would expect to
receive refreshments at least.
Postal and Internet surveys: Postal questionnaires can be
sent out to people whose names and addresses you have
collected from the visitors’ book, group bookings or from
correspondence. This can be quick, efficient and fairly cheap
but again these may represent only a certain type of visitor. If
you have a website, Internet-based questionnaires can be
offered in addition.
Visitors Books and Comment Walls: are excellent for
capturing people’s unsolicited views and ideas – these are
often used for promotional material and can be indicators
to attitudes that the majority may have, but should not be
the only guide.
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Valuable information can be gathered through one to
one discussions with visitors, from a brief questionnaire
form completed by the visitor on their own, or through
an individual observing. All such data collected will have
flaws in it, either from lack of accuracy (e.g. counting
numbers coming through the door) or from unconscious
bias in chosing people to interview – e.g. selecting only
those who look as if they have time to spare). If the data
is to be valid the number surveyed is important. A
sample of 500 people is generally regarded as necessary
for a general visitor survey in a smaller museum, 700 to
1,000 may be the minimum for a larger museum, while
visitor response to an exhibition probably requires a
sample of at least 100. (The international Visitor Studies
Group website – see the bibliography - provides much
more advice on these points.)
It is worthwhile to consider working in partnership
with a University or market research company for help
in developing some basic skills and knowledge on how to
set up surveys that will produce quality information.
Types of visitors and their needs:
Every one of us can be categorised by different criteria
and fall into different groupings.
The groups described below are not the only ones, and
of course one individual could fall in to one or more at
the same time or through their life cycle.
Individuals: These tend to visit for a specific reason,
probably to see a particular collection or exhibition, or
with a research interest at either an academic level or for
personal pleasure. As independent learners they want to
have detailed information on the items or collections or
given guidance to other sources. They are likely to attend
conferences, lecture series and guided tours, provided by
the education and curatorial staff. This group may
include the retired whose eyesight and hearing may be
deteriorating and so would appreciate large print labels
or audio guides. They will like to take time to study
displays or paintings and would appreciate portable
stools or firm permanent seating at a suitable height in
the gallery space.
Independent adult groups: These are often adult
individuals who form groups for social purposes and some
of their time in the museum may be spent in conversation
and relaxing with one another. Museums offer “safe” and
aesthetic environments for people to meet and chat. The
museum needs to recognise this social function and
provide suitable seating areas, cafes and other meeting
points suitable for such smaller groups.
Family groups: This group of visitors has a wide range
of needs due to the range of ages and interests.
Encouraging families means that the museum is
encouraging interest in museum visiting at an early age
and creates a pattern of social behaviour for life. Family
groups often extended to cousins and other relatives and
can be major components of the domestic tourist sector.
Some, certainly a minority, of museums feel that their
collections are not appropriate for young children, but
with creative thinking, even complex intellectual topics
can be made accessible through special displays, activities
or leaflets and quizzes. Family groups include adults who
may well return on their own at another time. A
successful museum will aim to greet family groups rather
than just tolerate them.
Educational groups: Depending on the number of
groups that visit the museum and the role of the
museum’s education staff, arrangements may need to be
made for the following: spaces for bags and coats; a
gathering space that will enable the group to discuss their
plans on arrival, a place for eating packed lunches if it
has been a long journey, and the provision of clip-boards
or notepads for writing on. As many groups may arrive
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BOX 6: EXERCISE 2: Making the museum family friendly:
BOX 8 - National and International Tourists:
Look through the following checklist and decide whether
your museum is family friendly or not at the moment.
Identify simple practical ways in which things could be
improved.
Visitors in this group tend not to have the time to linger,
hence small guidebooks or leaflets on the “highlights” of
the museum are a great help. Another priority is to offer
translations of the guidebook or provide tour guides who
can offer different languages or prepared sound guides.
Other questions to be considered include the following:
1. Are there activities, such as quizzes or special exhibits for the children
to be involved with, especially during holidays? Good links with the
Education staff will help to plan these. Refreshments will need to include
low price items and perhaps the museum can provide a place for
families and groups to eat their own picnics.
2. Washroom/toilet facilities should include basins and toilets at a lower
level for younger users plus baby changing facilities for mothers. (These
facilities are often combined with toilet facilities for the disabled who
among other things also need more space, not least so that helpers and
carers can assist them.)
3. A family with small children may bring push-chairs (“strollers”). Will
these be allowed into the galleries?
4. Or can the museum provide smaller carriers or baby backpacks?
5. Other furniture may include high chairs in the café and small boxes for
children to stand on so that they can see into the exhibition display
cases.
6. Remember that a contented child means a contented family, and also
that the happy child visitor is likely to grow up to be an adult visitor, and
eventually a parent (and perhaps even a political leader with
responsibility for museum policy and funding decisions).
BOX 7
1. What is the maximum size group the museum can accommodate in the
various key areas, such as general galleries, a particular special
exhibition, the museum shop or café?
2. Is there a booking system for groups available so that education leaders
can reserve a gallery/ space in advance, and to make sure that the
building does not become overcrowded and unsafe?
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1. If the local tourist office or perhaps a travel company provides a guide,
how do you ensure that the guides have had some training from the
museum and meet required standards of accuracy?
2. Does the museum need to consider how many groups can visit at one
time?
3. Are there spaces where groups can gather and relax in the open? What
is the maximum size group the museum can accommodate in the
galleries, shop or café?
4. Is there a booking system available so that tour guides can plan ahead?
by coach, a safe set-down point and bus parking may be
needed. College/lycée level and higher education groups
which often include art students should have the
opportunity to use portable stools for sketching. (These
can be also be used for older visitors.)
Visitors with additional needs (physical and
mental disabilities):
All of the above groups can include individuals who have
additional needs and requirements. Information about the
services and facilities that are available for those with
disabilities should be included in all the general visitor
information. It is important that all visitors with
disabilities receive the same quality of attention as the
general public and are not treated in a condescending
manner. Visitors with special needs are frequently
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accompanied by a friend, relative or carer, and museums
that charge for admission often recognise this by giving free
entry to the helper, and perhaps the disabled person also.
All relevant staff should have training from specialists
who are either themselves disabled or who have worked
alongside people with a range of different disabilities.
Museums that have made special arrangements for people
with disabilities have found that these can be welcomed by
other visitors as well. For example providing ramps or lifts
as an alternative to stairs not only helps those in
wheelchairs, but also parents with children in
pushchairs/strollers for young children, or anyone having
difficulty in walking or carrying a heavy load.
At a local/regional and national level, specialist staff may
be available to provide advice and training to museum staff
to establish the minimum levels of visitor access and
services every museum should attain. If this help is not
available locally or within the country it should be possible
to work in collaboration internationally with other
professionals or organisations who have developed
expertise in this area.
For wheelchair users: consider ramps, special toilets to
accommodate the wheel chair, ensure that gallery displays
are visible from a wheelchair (this is also an issue for
children), check there is space to manoeuvre the
wheelchair around the display cases, along corridors and in
the shop and café. An advisory group of users with
disabilities, such as wheelchair users and those with poor
sight or hearing can be a great help in testing out facilities,
seat planning, exhibition designs. (See the paragraph on
Support Groups in Dodd and Sandell, 1998)
People with little or no vision require large print or
Braille labels. The print size is recommended to be no
less than 14 point but 16-18pt is thought advisable to
suit a wider group. Print should be black on white or
yellow background. Many museums provide these labels
in folders at the entrance of a gallery or at the side of the
display case for easy access. Sound guides offer a good
alternative, but can cause problems with managing the
handset. Many museums have invested in providing 3
dimensional plans (raised maps) of the gallery layout so
that the individual can feel independent and not always
reliant on passers by. Some visitors may be accompanied
by a trained guide dog which will require water and of
course should have access to the galleries and other
public spaces. (See Royal National Institute for the Blind
and the Museums Association – Museum Practice site.)
Visitors with hearing disabilities appreciate that
regular guided tours, lectures and other such events have
on a set day a signed interpreter available. Some museum
staff have had training in sign language but it must be
remembered that there are some visitors with hearing
problems who do not use sign language but lip read. (See
reference for link to the Royal National Institute for the
Deaf –UK for examples and advice on good practice.)
People with learning difficulties (referred to as mental
handicap in some countries) will require special material
to help engage their interest and require sensitive
support from gallery staff, as will those with mental
health problems. It is recommended that museum staff
work closely with specialists in these areas who can give
professional advice as to what would be the most
appropriate material and activities, as well as provide
staff training.
Planning and managing visitor services
To ensure that a strong commitment to effective visitor
services is embedded into the organisation at all levels, the
museum can establish a number of ways in which staff
can coordinate, communicate, share expertise, plan and
deliver services to the public. In particular it is necessary
to involve at least three groups: the Director and other
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senior management staff, the visitor services team and the
museum’s communications group, as follows:
Director and Senior Management team
To create a museum-wide interest in visitors requires
commitment from the Director and senior management
team (SMT). They need to create appropriate
management structures, to set goals, agree standards,
evaluate success and weaknesses. For this it is helpful to
designate one member of the team to have overall
responsibility for Visitor Services. That individual should
see that SMT meetings have a regular agenda item for
visitor services, that the budget has an appropriate
designated sum allocated to visitor services, and should
hold regular meetings with the Visitor Services team and
the Communications Group (see below). The SMT need
to decide visitor services policy, such as how much public
access can be provided, on opening up of stores to
visitors, on research on databases, and on providing
financial budgets. The SMT should also report on these
important matters in the Annual Report.
Concerning finances, the SMT will of course need to
consider visitor services investment especially when
building works, fixtures and fittings are required. The
physical environment of a museum can have a great
impact on the visitor and the way they are made to feel
comfortable, and in creating the mood for viewing
exhibitions and participating in activities. Such obvious
things as lighting (artificial and daylight), floor surfaces,
style and type of furniture, paint colour can make you
feel either calm and relaxed or tense and uncomfortable.
Seating should be provided in the galleries to enable
people to sit and contemplate: a seating area with
reference books and other information, perhaps
including computer access to the museum’s information
services, gives the visitor a sense of independence and
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encourages further reading, study and return visits. The
provision of portable, lightweight folding stools stored
neatly by being hung on the wall in the corner of the
gallery can be a cheaper option.
Effective communication has two distinct parts. Good
communication channels between staff are needed to
bring together all the required information for the
visitor, while the communication with the visitor is
largely dependent on the effectiveness of the methods
used to communicate that information. These two have
to go hand in hand and if one is lacking or deficient in
some way, the clarity and usefulness of the information
will be affected. Incorrect information will frustrate all,
while correct information poorly communicated (e.g.
through bad signage or poorly designed leaflets) will miss
the target and be wasteful of resources. The SMT may
wish to set up a communications/information group (see
below) to establish a framework that improves the speed
and flow of communication, both internally and to the
public.
Visitor Services team
The team may include receptionists (at the visitors’ desk
and on the telephone switchboard), gallery security staff,
special events management personnel and education
staff. In fact, it should include all the staff who meet the
public face to face on a regular, if not daily, basis.
Decisions have to be made as to who is responsible for
what duties, how should the team coordinate their
activities, and what is the purpose of each activity
(educational, fun, security and safety). Should all the
Visitor Service team be easily identified by uniforms,
badges or some particular accessory such as a tie or scarf?
Important decisions also have to be made as how to
arrange a work schedule so that all public areas are
staffed throughout the museum’s opening hours, (which
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are likely to be longer than the normal working week for
any individual employee).
Another important policy decision is how should
complaints be dealt with? Service-orientated organisations
always encourage users to give their honest opinion about
their experiences, and aim to learn lessons from both
complaints from those who are dissatisfied as well as other
comments and suggestions. For example, many display
prominent notices saying something like: “If you are happy
with what we are doing, please tell your friends. If you are
not happy, please tell us instead.” It can be a good idea to
have a single feedback system for the compliments,
complaints and other comments of visitors and other users,
as some who want to make a suggestion for improvement
will not want to call these a “complaint”.
The Visitor Services team with the senior manager need
to set up systems for monitoring and evaluating services
offered. Having decided on the level and standard of
service, staff can regularly check if everything is in place
and at the standard required. What type of checks should
these be and how often? Who will carry them out? Are
there issues to do with attitude, timing, accuracy? How
will these be resolved while maintaining morale and staff
motivation?
Communication / Information Group
This group is likely to bring together representatives of a
number of different aspects of the museum’s work. Its
primary role is to set up mechanisms by which information
is gathered, checked for accuracy and disseminated in a
variety of formats to different audiences. The purpose is to
ensure that all information is up to date, accurate and
accessible. This is not only for the public’s benefit but also
for the staff. The group is likely to include a graphic
designer who understands visual communication, someone
with good editorial skills, an audience advocate, members
BOX 9. Developing a Visitors’ Comments and
Complaints Policy and Procedure
Whatever the detailed arrangements it is important that the
museum has, and publicises, a written policy on complaints
and how these are dealt with. The policy and arrangements
should include:
• The complaints and comments procedures should apply to all who have
contact with the museum and its services, whether as visitors including
school and college groups, researchers, users of special museum services
such as an archaeology or antiquities service, or those making enquiries.
• Those complaining or offering compliments or suggestions should be able to
do so in any convenient way: during or after their visit, in writing, by telephone,
(or through Internet services where the museum has e-mail or a web page).
• In the case of those who are making a complaint or comment in person in
the museum, they should be offered an opportunity to speak to the duty
curator or other senior member of staff if he or she is available.
• Special forms for complaints, comments and other feedback are very useful as
these help to make sure that all key information is recorded, but the museum
should equally accept and act on verbal reports, telephone calls or letters.
• In the case of verbal or telephone complaints a member of staff should
record as much information as possible – preferably on the official
complaints and comments form. In all cases the person making the
complaint should be asked to give a postal address or other contact point to
which a reply (or request for further information) can be sent.
• All complaints should be treated confidentially, and there should never be any
discrimination against someone because they have made a complaint.
• Procedures for investigating and replying to all complaints and comments
should also be established, and should make sure that:
– There are adequate internal arrangements for investigating and replying
promptly to all complaints and comments.
– All complaints and comments should be acknowledged in writing promptly
(7 days would normally be reasonable); these acknowledgements should
always give a timetable for investigating the point and sending a reply.
– If it proves impossible to meet this timetable then a further letter or
message should be sent explaining the delay within the original time limit.
• If a complaint is justified, then the museum should apologise as promptly as
possible and explain what action is being taken to prevent this problem
arising again.
• All replies should ask the person making the complaint or suggestion
whether they are satisfied with the reply and with the way in which the
complaint has been dealt with, and tell them how they can take the matter
further if they are dissatisfied.
EXERCISE: Check your present arrangements for considering
complaints, and draft written guidelines for the future.
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of the visitor services team and the museum’s webmaster or
web editor.
Their particular concerns will include:
Information: What information, to whom and how is it
presented? Who provides the information, how often? A
key point is to fix a realistic time schedule for having
information brought together – whether daily (e.g.
information on gallery events, group bookings, room use),
weekly (e.g. staff absences, collecting visitors figures),
monthly (e.g. the events diary), quarterly (e.g. temporary
exhibitions), annually (to check all basic information is still
correct e.g. telephone numbers, travel details). The
communications team will also want to review what
information can or should be offered in different languages.
Signage to and in the museum: Is it visible, clear to read
(even for foreign tourists: perhaps international or other
symbols or pictograms can be used?) and does not clutter
up the spaces to become visually overbearing and
confusing? Where and how many signs should be placed
outside the museum? From where would people approach
the museum: bus stops, car park or by foot? Are different
entrances clearly marked (some museums have a special
schools entrance or for those with wheelchairs)?
Orientation within the museum: Museums can be large
and complex buildings, but even small exhibitions which
are full of material and are laid out in a circuitous route
can make the visitor feel tired and disorientated. No one
likes being lost. This creates tension and anxiety, wastes
time and could possibly negate all the learning and
enjoyment that had been acquired up to that point. Good
pocket sized maps should be available, with location maps
displayed at gallery entrances and on stairs and in lifts. All
staff should be trained to give guidance and directions:
people are often hesitant to enter places they do not know
and where they cannot see the exit.
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Specific areas for attention
Inquiries/Reception Point: Having a central point where
visitors can gather information is essential. This point is
often identified by a desk which has gallery maps and
events leaflets, and is supervised by a member of staff to
answer inquiries. For the museum this can also be an
important point for security (checking bags), and an
emergency and health and safety control (e.g. managing a
safe and calm evacuation in the event of fire). (However,
this range of staff roles can be confusing both for staff and
the visitor.) As this may be the first point where the visitor
is welcomed by the museum staff it is important that the
desk is designed to be welcoming and accessible, in
physical terms such as height, be uncluttered in
appearance, as well as in the manner and approach of the
staff. The appointment of staff that have had customer
care training and an aptitude to working with the public is
essential, as they will be at all times focused on the visitors
and their requests.
Cloakrooms for umbrellas, coats and bags/buggies:
This should be open throughout the museum’s opening
times. A notice needs to explain the limit of the
museum’s responsibility. Is it clearly signposted near to
the entrance? How would you organise staff to help at
busy times (at closing time)?
Toilets: These to be checked for cleanliness, soap, towels
and paper regularly throughout opening hours and
regularly cleaned and checked that they are in working
order daily. Other key questions include: are these clearly
signposted? Are they suitable for a person in a wheelchair
or for someone to change a baby’s nappy (diaper)?
Café or Restaurant: Museum visiting is tiring and people
need to have some sort of refreshments, particularly where
visitors typically reamin in the museum for a long period,
or if they are likely to have travelled for some time before
arriving at the museum. The size of operation will also
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depends on the overall budget for the museum, since in
smaller museums at least it may well be that the income
from the sale of the refreshments will not cover the full
cost of staffing and equipment overheads. However, even
offering tea or coffee and a cake can make all the difference
to the visitor’s experience of the museum. The café is also
an ideal place to promote future events and to display
exhibits, perhaps from the reserve collections. If it is not
possible to have any sort of catering service then perhaps
the museum could look into having a water fountain or
drinks dispenser as a very minimum.
The Shop: This is another obvious point where visitors
meet staff, as they buy guidebooks, catalogues, replicas
or souvenirs and ask for information. This also raises
important visitor service and communications policies.
What should the shop sell, and at what price? Is there
something for children to buy at a very small cost? Can
customers order things away from the museum? Is there
a catalogue of publications, replicas and souvenirs, and if
so is this available through the museum’s website? What
are the museum shop’s opening hours? How much
storage space is there for the shop and its stock? If space
is limited how does this determine the range and size of
stock being held? Is the shop well lit and does it have
space for people to browse?
Outdoor area: Having an outdoor space such as a garden
or space for objects too big or heavy to go inside the
museum can be hugely beneficial for visitors. It allows
for contemplation and reflection plus being a change of
physical environment. Benches and sunshade covering
need to be available and, if popular with families, some
simple play equipment, perhaps picking up themes from
the collection, will be very popular. Such a space can also
be ideal for events or be rented out for private hire.
BOX 10. Checklist from the visitors’ point of view
The following exercises are methods by which the museum monitors and
evaluates the standards and provisions you have put in place. The evidence
collected helps to prioritise your actions for the future. Evaluation is the
mechanism for checking and refining processes, results and outcomes.
Evaluation can take place at different stages of a particular series of actions.
1. At the beginning, “front end” evaluation is there to test out ideas or
prototypes during the project.
2. Formative evaluation allows you to make changes or improvements,
3. Summative evaluation give you the opportunity to gather a range of evidence
that summarises the strengths and weaknesses of the project so as to inform
future actions.
Exercise 3 : Ask two newer members of staff (regardless of grade: it does not
matter whether they are a cleaner, gallery attendant or curator) to work through
the following checklist and add any questions of their own. Use 3 columns to
grade the museum’s status as follows: (1) good standard (2) adequate but to be
improved (3) failing. Use the results to help to form the action plan for the
coming year.
This exercise should be repeated at least annually to see if the situation has
changed. Of course what determines “good” has to be discussed which
encourages all to participate.
General indicators: What are the indicators that show the visitor your museum takes them
seriously and that you are concerned for the quality of their visit? Is there a short paragraph
on all your literature/ web site on a board at the museum’s entrance that declares your
intentions?
Arrival: Is the road to the museum easy to locate? Are there good directional signs to the
museum for car drivers and pedestrians? Where to park the car? How far is it to walk to the
entrance? Are there spaces near the entrance for people with disabilities?
Welcome and Orientation: Who welcomes the visitors? How do they greet me? Are they
polite and do they give accurate information? Is it clear what to do on arrival and where
things are: toilets, cloakroom, information desk, education rooms, galleries? How do I find
out what is happening today? What is available for a family, children, people with
disabilities, people wishing to carry out research? How long have I got before it closes? Is
there a charge, how much, and are there any concessions for children, the elderly? Am I
allowed to take photographs? Take my child around in a pushchair (stroller)?
The galleries: Am I visually attracted to the displays? Am I drawn into the space or is it dark
and gloomy? Can I read the labels? Is the lighting well directed? Are the galleries noisy or
empty? Do I understand the intellectual context and content of the displays? Can I find out
more about the exhibits than what is on the label? Where do I have to go to find this out?
Can I sit down anywhere? Can my child learn at his level and be entertained? Can every
one see all the displays at a comfortable height? How do I get from one place to another?
Who can I ask if I have a query? How do I recognise them? Can I have a drink or something
to eat? Are the refreshments inexpensive? Can I sit out doors? Are there toilet facilities?
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BOX 11. Researching visitor services
Exercise 4: Ask a few members of the public (preferably
not regular visitors) to do the same exercise as in Exercise
3 to gauge visitors’ reactions compared to the staff. This
can be done by letting them talk to you as you go around –
Again points raised are added to the longer term visitor
services action list.
Exercise 5: Two museum staff at a time should visit an
unfamiliar museum or other visitor attraction (heritage site,
fun park, shopping mall: it does not matter whether this is
a public or commercial facility) and note things that they
felt worked well or failed in respect of being a visitor. What
standards did they choose to use? Their reactions and
comments can inform the debates with the various
teams/groups. Such opportunities should be given to all
staff, especially those in the Visitor Services team, as it
brings home to people the immediacy of reactions
(emotionally and intellectually) when one is experiencing a
situation oneself.
Summary
For a museum visitor to gain the most from the learning
and pleasure opportunities made available, they need to
feel welcomed, safe and assured that these collections are
on show at least partly for their benefit, and are a part of
their heritage and understanding of their place in society
today. Contented visitors are increasingly valuable to
museums as they are not only a measure of one’s success
but can become regular return visitors and perhaps
become even more closely involved as enthusiastic
supporters and advocates. To achieve this, the museum
and its entire staff need to plan and deliver Visitor
Services and facilities that provide and improve public
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access, understanding and enjoyment of the collections.
A satisfied visitor is the proof of a well-focused and
professionally run museum.
Further Information
The Museum Association (UK) and in particular its
quarterly publication “Museum Practice” provides a
great deal of practical information on a wide range of
relevant issues, such as Visitor Services, Access, Design,
Labels. Museums which become institutional members
receive free copies and gain access to the archive of past
issues on the Web. Please contact the Editor, Museums
Association, 24 Calvin Street, London E1 6NW,
http://www.museumsassociation.org
There is a lot of relevant literature on visitor services,
visitor studies and customer services in areas beyond
museums, including leisure services, tourism, heritage
and culture, as well as business management.
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Museum Education in the Context of Museum Functions
Cornelia Brüninghaus-Knubel
Head of Education Department, Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg, Germany
What are museums for? What is the purpose of all the
efforts in collecting, restoring and displaying objects? It is
certainly not merely an occupational therapy for curators
or those who do research in the field. It is also not only
about the pride in representing the culture of a nation or
of the world’s common heritage. In fact, this is
undertaken in order to make the museum’s knowledge
and collections known to the public, to people of all ages
and backgrounds, and to let them participate in
knowledge and culture. Consequently it is important that
every action of the museum should aim to serve the
public and their education.
Museums add special values to the formal school and
college education system, as part of the informal sector of
education. They enlarge the formal education and offer
different ways of learning, enjoying and discussing. All
museum professionals, whatever their particular job or
specialization, need to have a strong belief in the need to
share with as many persons of all ages or social levels as
possible knowledge of the importance of discovering and
understanding the roots of mankind and their creation of
culture as well as the natural heritage of our planet.
Continuing education for people of all ages, from very
young children to older retired people – from under
three to over ninety-three - can take place in museums:
The individual enjoys the opportunity for open,
informal visiting and for communication with others (in
a way that is different from theatre and concerts) while
groups have different experiences from those of their
usual learning environment. Educational services in
museums also enhance and complement the
understanding and enjoyment of the collections and
displays. Because it is a crucial part of the overall
objectives of the museum, education should be regarded
as one of the main goals in the museum’s policy. Without
such a policy commitment, museum education tends to
become viewed as a mere marketing ploy aimed at
increasing visitor numbers.
Collections and education
Taking into account the close relationship of all museum
functions, the issues of museum education have above all
to be considered in relation to the nature of the
collections. Whether made up of artefacts or natural
history specimens, technical objects or archival material,
every collection requires thoughtful analysis, working
together with the scientific staff, in order to develop a
specific and relevant educational orientation. As soon as
the aims are defined, educational programmes can be
designed to promote better understanding of the objects
and other aspects of the museum’s curatorial and
scientific mission.
This must be done for both museum education
teaching sessions or for the educational orientation and
content of the displays and exhibitions, both permanent
and temporary. Each step should be guided by the
responsibility towards both the visitor and the nature
and message of the collections and objects. Also the
choice of objects for the public displays and exhibitions
depends on the themes that are inherent in the collection
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and are at the same time of interest to the public. This is
likely to vary according to the different target groups to
be addressed, to particular contemporary issues, or to the
special needs of society.
The objects or specimens in the museum’s collection
carry all sorts of information. Find out which are relevant
for your different visitor groups and which content is
important to convey. Then, use this knowledge to decide
upon the programmes to be set up and the methods by
which the learning processes can be accomplished.
Heritage and education
Furthermore, for many museums, especially
community-related ones, knowledge of local traditions
and regional culture are crucial when establishing a
museum policy which combines the museum’s
educational and curatorial work. Different museums
preserve an extraordinary range of heritage of different
kinds, e.g. reflecting national or international sources
and values. In a period of unprecedented speed of
change, today people are very often on the brink of
forgetting or neglecting their own history and cultural
traditions and lack knowledge about other cultures and
the wider world heritage. A museum is the perfect place
to promote and encourage awareness of the natural,
cultural and artistic heritage, through the research
carried out by museums and others on the material and
immaterial culture studied and preserved by the museum
and through the opportunity to educate visitors
Developing and Managing Museum Education
If the museum sees itself as an institution with a strong
social and educational commitment, the establishment of
an effective educational service ought to be seen as a matter
of course. As long ago as 1965 the 8th General Assembly
of ICOM adopted as official ICOM policy a declaration,
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that in view of the greatly increased significance of the
educational and cultural role of museums, they should
employ specialist museum education staff – either qualified
teachers who should then be given additional training in
the basic disciplines of the museum or academic (including
curatorial) personnel who should be given additional
training in educational methods.
Unfortunately nearly forty years later, education is very
often still regarded as of only secondary importance.
Even where there is a specialist education department
this may well have a low position and status in the
museum’s departmental hierarchy. The best examples of
visitor-oriented museums have had museum educators
appointed and already working in the museum’s
development team long before the official opening.
However, there are still many museums that survive
without any education department. Even if they become
conscious about their obligations towards the public and
decide to create an education department, very often
these start off with just one person. This lone
professional is then expected to carry out all the different
tasks described above.
What kind of person must this be? In most countries,
there is no specialist training which prepares people for
the museum education profession. Instead, the best
present-day museum educators have qualified (usually at
postgraduate level) in many different fields during their
careers. Many have studied the subject matter of the
museum they work for – e.g. archaeology, biology, history,
physics, or studies in education or psychology will have
provided the basic pedagogic knowledge, for it is vital for
the educator to be respected academically by his/her
curatorial colleagues. In addition museological training is
absolutely necessary, whether through specialized
(postgraduate) courses or through experience as a trainee
in a museum. Some courses of teacher training may be
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suitable, but it is important to understand that learning in
the museum can be very different from learning in
schools, particularly where the country has a tradition of
very formal school teaching and learning.
Once a museum has decided to establish an education
service and has found a suitable candidate to run it, the
new education officer has to set up a structure and
decide on a policy and programme. This has to be
realistic in terms of what can be accomplished according
to the museum’s situation, particularly the staff, time,
space and finance available. As a minimum, an effective
education service requires a full-time professional head
who is capable of handling the management and
administrative aspects of the job as well as taking part in
the teaching and other educational work.
Long experience shows that while a single education
officer is better than nothing, one person will not be able
to carry out every necessary task, especially once schools,
colleges, parents and the wider public recognise the value
of the educational programmes offered by the museum.
It is inefficient and uneconomic for a highly qualified
education officer to have to undertake routine secretarial
jobs such as taking bookings, distributing publicity
material or printing teaching and learning materials
because of the lack of necessary administrative assistance.
Public demand for the educational services is likely to
make it necessary to engage additional specialised staff for
guiding, teaching and for conducting the educational
workshops and other activities. Freelance or part-time staff
can undertake many of these functions under appropriate
contract arrangements and supervision. However, such
staff must be trained by the education officer or other
experts in order to maintain quality standards. This
training and continuing professional development needs
to cover a wide range of topics, including current
knowledge of learning theory and psychology, and
information on new research in the museum’s subject
matter, as well as communication, presentation, and any
relevant special aspects of the job, such as historical crafts
and techniques. Therefore the museum educator must be
a leader or manager as well as a true team player.
Networks inside and outside the museum are essential
for the educator’s work. They can help with the orientation
towards the public, and they may be a source of new
alliances and thus broaden the educator’s professional
horizon and thus the service provided. Most important,
they can facilitate problem-solving. Here, networking with
other museum professionals should be emphasised,
especially for inexperienced museum educators.
Communication with other museum workers both
inside the museum and elsewhere can be particularly
valuable in relation to the exchange of ideas, advice and
know-how. These communicative efforts keep the
museum educator up-to-date with contemporary issues,
studies and discourse, thus enabling him or her to meet
the needs of the profession and those being served.
Outside networks can be joined at the national (e.g.
museum association) or international (e.g. International
Council of Museums (ICOM) and its specialised
international committees) level. If none of these are
suitable or accessible, other networks can be created on
your own initiative. In addition to such professional
contacts a lot of time and patience needs to be devoted
to establishing personal contacts locally: as an expert in
communication, the museum education officer can link
institutions and people, groups and individuals and open
pathways for co-operation.
Museum education and the community
As an institution of public interest and for public use,
the museum as a whole needs to be situated intellectually
at the centre of its local, national or international
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Assessing the Principles and Priorities for a Museum
Education Policy and Programme
As every museum is unique, the museum educator, in
consultation with curatorial colleagues, needs to ask some
basic questions in analysing and planning the education
service. These will differ according to circumstances, but
may include:
Concerning the geographical situation:
1. Is it serving a big or small community?
2. Are the surroundings urban/industrial or rural?
3. Does the museum relate effectively to its geographical situation?
Concerning the social and cultural structure of
population:
4. What are potential visitors like?
5. What visitors and other users do we want to come to the museum and
why?
6. What are the community’s cultural traditions: can these be linked to the
museum’s objectives and policies?
7. What are the contemporary problems the community has to cope with?
Concerning museological issues:
8. What are the key features of the collections?
9. What are its origins?
10. What are the museum’s obligations towards outside parties, such as the
State, city, other funding bodies or donors?
Concerning finance:
11. What funding sources are available specifically for educational work?
12. What is the most effective use of the available museum education
budget?
community. The museum educator has a particularly
important role to play in developing the statements of
the museum’s mission, policies and programme. They
bring an especially valuable insight to the policy-making
process, because of their close contact with the public
and excellent knowledge of the expectations and possible
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reactions of different groups in society, and particularly
with the young people who should also be valued as
future museum visitors.
As the museum’s expert in relation to the public,
understanding the needs and wishes of the different visitor
groups, the museum educator has to contribute his/her
knowledge in the overall management of the museum, for
example when new displays are being discussed. As part of
the team, the educator should be able to contribute vital
information about perception, intellectual ability and
interests of the visitor groups. This requires a clear
definition of which target groups are to be addressed and
how. Starting from the analysis of an object or a group of
them, teaching programmes have to be developed.
Many different approaches can be offered: for the
individual visitor, whether adult or child, special groups
or schools. All of them should no longer be regarded as
only “consumers” of culture or knowledge, but as
partners in the process of learning. Hence, the goal of
the museum educator should be to communicate the
various values and aspects of cultural or natural history,
of art or science to the visitors in such a way that these
comprehend them and can compare them with his own
experience in the field.
Choice of Teaching and Learning Methods in
Museum Education
To convey the meaning of the museum object and to
enhance understanding, a range of educational methods
can be used. Some methods and media are aimed at a
passive recipient. Here, the learning process evolves
through thinking, perceiving, examining, recognising.
Others encourage the visitor to become actively involved
and examine the collections, displays or individual
cultural object being studied through an aesthetic,
technical, social or research activity.
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article
tape-slide
video
teachers’ notes
exhibition
other audiences
age
institution
syllabus
interest
objectives
requests
wh
at
how long
school day
school year
museum day
museum year
museum
programmes
when
people
time
money
sponsorship
materials
equipment
space
or
of
wh
els
e
h
wit out
at
wh t with
a
wh
Fig. 1. Issues in the planning and management of museum
programmes (from Eileen Hooper-Greenhill, Museum and Gallery
Education, Leicester University Press, 1991)
General Exhibit Labels and Individual Captions
As a minimum there should be information about each
object displayed, e.g. class, function, origin, material, age,
and contents. However, nowadays most museums offer
much more information than this, with text panels and
individual object captions and labels that provide more
which objects
which themes
how many
who for
which topics
title
links/relationships
ho
w
discussion
lecture
slides
games
drawing
drama
demonstration
worksheets
handling
making
documents
comprehensive information about the subject of the
display overall and the context of the individual object or
groups of objects. Organised museum education groups
visiting the public galleries are likely to need additional
didactic material relevant to the age group or
specialisation of the students concerned.
The museum education specialist can be of great help
to colleagues within the museum who are planning and
designing displays and exhibitions by offering expert
advice on issues such as comprehensibility, linguistic
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Designing educational programs: the basic principles
1. Start from the knowledge and life experience of the audience.
2. Provide opportunities for conversation and discussion that help students
to handle new ideas and to develop reasoned arguments
3. Offer first hand experiences for the senses and the mind including:
a. Looking
b. Describing
c. Touching
d. Moving
e. Drawing
f. Playing
4. Let the student or other visitor find his/her personal expressions for
what they experience
5. Allow the opportunity and time for individual exploration
6. Plan any programme of educational visits carefully, taking into account
e.g. the schedule of the local school year, the season of the year, and
the time of day
7. Allow the group time to adjust to the new teaching and learning space
in the museum
8. Build into the programme preparation before the visit (e.g. pre-visits or
training courses for the school’s own teachers, or the written information
or learning materials provided in advance) and the follow-up to the visit
9. Evaluate each visit or organised programme and consider possible
changes for the next time.
level, typography and graphic design, communication,
and also on the value of a particular object or groups of
objects within the display’s concept and objectives.
Guided Tours and Educational Dialogue
Among the means of museum teaching, the classic
approach relies largely on the medium of speech.
However, the formal lecture style traditionally used with
educated adults should be replaced by less formal
dialogue or conversation, especially when working with
children, young people and persons with a nonacademic background. In order to get away from the
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school style question-and-answer pattern, museum
educators today use a range of forms of interaction. The
active participation of the schoolchild or other
participant is encouraged, taking into account all senses
and encouraging self-expression. Instead of explaining
everything to them, let them explore and find out,
describe and experience what they see. The museum
educator helps them to discover the meaning for
themselves.
FIg. 2. Exploring an art-work in the sculpture exhibition of Wilhelm
Lehmbruck Museum Duisburg, Germany
Audio and Audiovisual Media
As a substitute for human guides, museums are using
audio guide systems: portable tape recorders or CD
players and headphones providing a commentary for an
individual tour around either a particular exhibition or
the highlights of the whole museum. Alternatively, such
commentaries and information can be provided at
different points within the exhibitions through
loudspeakers or other audio devices offering both
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commentaries and recallable sounds (e.g. animal voices,
historic radio broadcasts, music) that contribute to the
content on display.
Audio guides can impart a lot of information very
easily, but this can be at the expense of normal
conversation and communication among the visitors,
though a limited use of recallable sounds can contribute
to the display. Audiovisual media has a high potential for
museum education, if used in the right way. Slideshows
with sounds, film, and video/TV clips can promote an
effective reception. An advantage of audiovisual media is
its capability to bring information from the real world
into the museum, e.g. work processes, human or animal
behaviour, illustrations of surroundings from which the
object has been collected.
FIg. 3. Hands-on-workshop in permanent exhibition on local tradition
of pumice fabrication at Landesmuseum Koblenz, Germany
Educational Spaces
A promotion of education in a museum must go along
with the provision of adequate spaces for this work. These
can be exhibition areas that focus on educational exhibits
designed to illustrate a particular topic, classrooms,
workshop spaces or other study areas that can be used for
an extended period of time by school and other
educational groups as well as by the individual visitor.
Special museum education spaces are usually supplied
with supporting information and material which allow
intensive and active examination of topics covered.
process or about historical facts, with multiple choices of
information that the user is free to select.
Increasingly this supporting information is available to
people far from the museum through World Wide Web
links, and already in some cases “virtual visitors” to the
supporting education and information programmes of
the museums now exceed the number of actual
admissions. Though a computer-based information and
learning systems can contain and make available a wide
range of information, it carries with it the danger of
distracting attention from the displays and original
objects themselves.
Visual and Computer Media
In many cases, graphics, such as diagrams, maps and
photographs can be very useful to illustrate a concept
and to achieve clear coherence. Museums are
increasingly using computers for the same purpose. With
networked computer terminals and free-standing PCs
using specially designed software, visitors can learn
interactively about a technical, artistic or scientific
Didactic/Educational Exhibitions
In contrast to a more traditional object-oriented
presentation, a didactic or pedagogic exhibition is often
argument-oriented. This is achieved by making sure that
(1) educational aims are prominent in the concept, (2)
content, design, and educational assistance must be
closely related to the argument to be conveyed, and that
(3) the particular target group at which the exhibition is
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directed has a priority. With educational exhibitions,
active styles of teaching should mainly be used.
FIg. 5. Trying out techniques : Paper-making Workshop in the
exhibition “Vom Brei zum Buch” (From Pulp to Book), Kindermuseum
des Historischen Museums, Frankfurt, Germany, 1998/99
FIg. 4. Bubbles: playful activities for learning in exhibition
“Seifenblasen” of Kindermuseum München, Germany
Practical Workshops
Activity workshops, which may be conducted by
freelancers who are specialists in their fields such as
working artists, scientists or craftspeople, offer visitors
the possibility to explore techniques connected to the
making and preserving of cultural objects, or to
undertake scientific research or inquiry. For example,
traditional crafts like pottery, wood and metalwork,
cooking, fire-making, or other local traditions may be
experienced and rediscovered. Art is better understood
through trying out the original techniques of printing,
drawing, painting, sculpting and photography. Using a
microscope, excavating, taking pictures and
systematising information on objects for archival
research may give an introduction to scientific work.
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For example, in art, these sessions, perhaps close to
masterpieces, are, especially for the young, a lively means
to convey aesthetic and design principles (form and
colour, space and composition). Here, first steps towards a
promotion of creativity and sensitisation to cultural
objects can easily be made. But painting and drawing
workshops do not belong solely to an art museum’s
educational programme: they have their place in natural
and cultural history museums as well. Transferring the
viewed objects and the acquired knowledge into an artistic
form can deepen the learning and the sensory experience.
Tactile Displays and Aids
Some museums encourage the visitor to touch selected
real cultural objects in a controlled setting, such as a
special display or a tray of handling specimens, or they
provide handling samples of the materials that the object
was made of, e.g. stone, animal fur or textiles. These can
be invaluable not only for blind and partially sighted
students and visitors but also for work with children.
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directing of the acting. A subject for a role-play in a
museum could be improvising what happened after the
scene depicted in a painting or the re-enactment of
historical events. The visitor can mix interpretations
from his contemporary world into the historical context.
This form of play can easily be included into a guided
tour and can get visitors moving: this is especially
important for the work with children and teens. In
addition, a growing number of museums now use more
formal theatre performance in their programmes, typically
using both professional actors and child/student
participation on a role-play basis at the same time.
FIg. 6. Blind museum visitor perceiving sculpture by Ossip Zadkine by
touching with his hands. Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum Duisburg,
Germany
Learning Games
For children, playing games imitates the rules of the real
world. Thus, games and guided play can have an
important place in the learning process. Competitive
games, games of skill, puzzles, quizzes, historical games,
etc. can all be successfully transferred to museum contexts.
Educational Demonstrations
Experts such as craftspeople, artists, technicians or
restorers can demonstrate their crafts and artistic work in
the museum setting. Actors or talented educators can
play the role of a historical figure. Here, interaction with
the visitors is crucial.
Role-Playing and Museum Theatre
In museum education, role-playing is usually an
improvised experience structured through directions and
guidance from the project leader (such as museum
education officer) concerning the characters or the story
to be represented, but without a formal script and
FIg. 7. Role-play: writing like a monk in medieval times. Exhibition
“Vom Brei zum Buch” (From Pulp to Book), Kindermuseum des
Historischen Museums, Frankfurt, Germany, 1998/99
Tableau vivant
In this, members of the group recreate paintings and
sculptures of people and groups of people, perhaps
wearing replicas of the costumes illustrated. Through
this physical experience, posture, gesture, and facial
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expression can be better understood and interpreted in
relation to oneself.
Teaching “Kits”
Educational aids and sets of handling specimens can be
assembled in carrying boxes, suitcases or any other sort
of container. They can be used either in the museum as
teaching material by the educators themselves, or - being
self-explaining- by the independent visitor. Teaching kits
can also be used outside the museum as part of a loan
service for schools.
Material that is put together in such kits usually focus
on specific subjects which are derived from the museums
collection and general programme, and offer a wide
range of supplements and aids for learning, such as
written information, pictures, recorded voices or music,
replicas, raw material to be touched or used for creative
work, games, how-to-do-instructions, worksheets.
Field/Discovery Trips (see also the section on
Extramural Activities below)
When linked to exhibition and collection themes, field
trips can widen the visitor’s focus beyond the museum’s
walls, e.g. arranging excursions to caves and quarries
related to geological collections; visits to monuments,
public statues and historic buildings relevant to art and
cultural history museums, or excavation sites as part of the
educational programme of archaeological museums. These
also offer the chance to meet interesting people whose
professions are relevant to the museum. Such activities can
give a lively impression of how the objects of a collection
are linked to the lives and activities of fellow citizens.
“Collect/Document/Display” activities
The museum institution itself can be of interest to the
public, not only the museum object itself. Under this
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FIg. 8. Loan material from Kit about the culture of North American
Indian, Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum für Völkerkunde, Köln, Germany
title some museums have developed an activity which
takes the visitor behind the scenes of a museum. In the
setting of either a didactic exhibition or a hands-on
project, museological techniques like collecting, doing
research, and finally displaying can be explored. The
programme can include interviews with representatives
of the different museums professions, observing and
possibly participating in work processes, role playing or
re-enacting museum work such as collecting, setting up
an exhibition, coping with difficulties (e.g. a theft or a
damage). These aim to give the educational group much
more insight in the value of museums and the heritage
they preserve, showing that there is real and exciting
work being done in the museum.
Supporting Programmes of Educational Events
(see also Informal Education below)
The museum education service may also organise and
promote a supporting programme to supplement and
enhance either the regular displays or temporary
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exhibitions. These often include film and video
screenings, theatre and concert performances, readings,
courses and conferences.
Museum publications
Information on the collections or a temporary exhibition
can also be conveyed through the classic medium of a
book, booklet or catalogue. The text and illustrations
can consolidate knowledge and reactivate experience of
the exhibition. It is important that the museum keeps in
mind the intended readers and users: publications,
guides and catalogues for children and teenagers need to
be designed accordingly. The texts must be
comprehensible and entertaining and can include comics
and pictures. In contrast the more advanced reader will
appreciate fuller information and interpretation and also
the results of the more advanced research carried out by
the curators or outside specialists.
Extra-Mural Activities
Outreach Programmes
The museum today is regarded as an institution that
must have a strong relationship with, and responsibility
towards, society. It has to serve a very wide and diverse
public, from enthusiastic regular users and supporters,
through to those who know little or nothing of the
museum and what it offers and never visit the museum
building. In other cases the apparent lack of interest in,
or use of, the museum may be due to difficulties in
geographical accessibility or lack of adequate transport
systems. Also, economically disadvantaged communities
and individuals may not be able to afford the time or
money to travel to the museum.
Outreach programmes can overcome this gap, by
offering opportunities for experience and learning to
schools and individuals living in places without
Types of Didactic Material commonly used in Museums
A common request from schools is for materials designed
to support the formal curriculum and examination process.
However, specially prepared teaching aids can also be
used in both passive and active educational frameworks,
with or without personal guidance from the museum
educator, for children and students of all ages, from
kindergarten through to both formal and informal adult
education.
Examples of the kinds of material produced for independent use
include:
Worksheets
Learning games printed on big posters
Card and dice games
Model theatres
Hands-on books and catalogues
Quizzes
Art and craft supplies
Audiovisual devices (CD players, audio recorders, video recorders and
cameras)
Objects and material to touch, to smell, to taste
In addition the museum educator may use the following aids for his/her
teaching, to help explain and expand knowledge beyond the museum
object:
Charts
Diagrams
Maps
Overhead transparencies
Slide sets
PowerPoint and similar computer presentations
Texts
Lesson plans
Films
Museum teaching and learning website
Reproductions and replicas
Teaching Kits (museum in a suitcase, mobile teaching units with various
materials and media)
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museums, e.g. rural or remote areas. They aim to make
members of the public aware of the value of the museum
and its services with the aim that they will be eventually
attracted to visit the museum in the future.
Buses or vans, staffed by museum personnel or perhaps
trained museum volunteers or local teachers, can be used
to transport mobile units containing objects and
educational material related to the museum’s mission and
organised in the form of exhibitions or educational
activities of all kinds, such as workshops, museum theatre
or kits of handling specimens. The educational value of
the programme is guaranteed by the conceptual input and
professional management by the museum educators.
Education departments in museums employ trained
and committed persons (teachers and other educators,
designers, craftspeople and other specialists) who are able
to work with the varied target groups. It makes sense to
send these experts outside the museum to work in the
different institutes of the neighbourhood, community
centres, with minority groups or in schools.
Local libraries, town halls, schools, community
buildings or other public venues can all serve as
temporary spaces to host these shows, but the bus or
truck itself can be designed as a mobile exhibition room.
Teaching programmes are often designed in conjunction
with such local community organisations that may
provide staff members to work with the travelling
exhibition or other outreach programme. However,
when original specimens are included in such
programmes, proper professional procedures of security
must be followed.
Another form of outreach is the development of loan
services, which can provide a smaller scale version of the
“mobile museum” or “museobus” just described. For this
purpose kits of original material or e.g. teaching packages
in the form of miniature versions of educational displays.
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FIg. 9. Museum Bus from National Museum in Gaborone arriving at a
remote village in Botswana for Outreach program
FIg. 10. Teaching with Museum objects in classroom in remote village
in the Kalahari desert in Botswana
Loan kits need to be stored, advertised to their potential
users, administered, and kept in good condition. In
addition many museum loan services of this kind also offer
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schools and other users a delivery and collection service.
Thus a loan service can involve a significant workload and
therefore cost, which needs to be taken into consideration
when planning such a service.
Fieldwork
Following contemporary ideas of education which place
an emphasis on learning through experience, the school
field trip can be adopted as part of the museum education
programme as well. All the collections in the museum
originated from outside it, in many cases locally, so why
not follow them back to their origins? Such projects can
give a lively experience, giving insight into e.g.
archaeological excavation and archaeological methods at
the site where museum objects have been found.
During archaeological, geological or biological
fieldwork, students and volunteers may be able to
undertake collecting and categorising specimens, so that
the participant becomes actively involved in the learning
process with the result of sustainable knowledge.
Museum-organised excursions to monuments and sites,
to other museums and places to meet interesting
personalities such as artists in their studios or scientists
in their laboratories or field stations, can be aimed not
only at school groups but also at interested adults. In
these cases the museum educators are acting as
programme designers, relating the museum to the
outside world.
Informal Education
Events and Leisure Time Activities
As well as being educational, museums are a great place
not only for education but also for enjoyment. The
museum buildings may be beautiful or otherwise of great
interest in their own right. The collections and exhibitions
can create an atmosphere full of imagination and emotion
which can be enjoyed by the audience. Thus, cultural and
entertainment activities and events can be integrated into
the programme. Other forms of the arts contribute to a
broader concept of culture. For instance, programmes
including poetry readings and musical performances,
theatre or dance can be enhanced and inspiring by being
presented surrounded by museum objects.
FIg. 11. Museum-Box for individual families visiting museums: games
to discover artworks, Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum Duisburg, Germany
Another means to attract a new public to the museum
is to invite well-known artists for a performance and as a
result attract their fans. Also, conferences and symposia
involving the curators and other specialists are often
organised on topics of museum interest: these can
deepen knowledge and promote discussion of
arguments.
Once the museum becomes known for such varied and
attractive programmes, it should attract more and more
social groups, e.g. institutions, companies, associations
and work groups or student groups. Given its expertise,
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the museum staff can offer to design events especially for
the needs and interests of such groups, and this could
become an opportunity for the museum to make some
money and attract a yet wider public. However, the
museum has to consider carefully in what way any
particular event relates to its own mission and objectives.
This is not just a matter for museum educators and
public relation officers: such questions go to the heart of
the museum’s objectives and policies, and it is likely that
the director and senior management, possibly the
governing body, will need to be involved in setting
policies and guidelines for such programmes.
Today, both young people and adults tend to choose
quality leisure activities, and look for rewarding and
interesting ways of spending their time. Museums are
able to meet such needs through active learning. They
offer opportunities to engage in an enjoyable way with
knowledge-related concepts.
Museum educators therefore need to design a wide
variety of both formal and informal programmes that are
meaningful and at the same time entertaining, so that
even after a day at school or work, participating in
workshops, courses or events at the museum provides
them with experiences that enhance their quality of life.
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Museum Management
Gary Edson
Executive Director, Museum of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
Most museums exist for the public’s benefit, and, to be
successful, all aspects of their operations should reflect that
obligation and commitment. Any organization operating
in the public interest must manage its affairs properly, but
museums as custodians of the cultural, natural, and
scientific heritage of a people, region, or nation have a
special responsibility to function as nearly as possible
above reproach. Museums operated or maintained as part
of a governmental structure are normally required to
function according to the management system of the
governing body. Within this limitation, however, the
museum should maintain at the same time proper
operating systems and procedures which follow accepted
museological practices.
Directors provide the leadership, vision, and guidance
that are a part of good management.
In some national traditions, management is used to
describe the level of authority within the institutional
structure where important decisions are made. The most
senior manager may be known by other names such as
director or chief executive officer (CEO), and it is that
person who normally makes many key decisions about the
way the museum is organized, the services it provides, and
the people it serves. In other traditions, “management” in
one way or another is regarded as an important part of the
work and responsibilities of most professional staff, and
probably the more senior technicians as well, not just of the
director and his or her deputies and perhaps one or two
administrative departments, such as Finance and Personnel.
For example, in the United Kingdom, the government now
classifies nearly 30% of all the country’s workers as having
significant management responsibilities, and formal
management training has been an important part of the
national qualification structure for museum curators and
other museum professionals since as long ago as 1964.
The director is usually hired or appointed by the
governing authority, such as a board of trustees, board of
directors, the Minister of Culture, or a regional or city
government. The powers of the director will depend very
much on relevant national or local laws and regulations.
Some directors have the authority to make day-to-day
operational decisions including the hiring and
disciplining of staff, while under other systems this
responsibility remains with a government or city
personnel service.
It is very important for all with management
responsibilities in this wider sense to understand the
administrative and legal systems and structures applying to
their circumstances, as well as the detailed laws and
regulations under which they must work. In practice these
will vary greatly from country to country, and several
decades on from decolonisation it is very common to find
that most of the administrative and legal principles and
practices established by the former colonial power are still
in place, and still significantly affect both museum
management and professional practice.
Across the Arab world there can, for example, remain
major administrative, legal and even philosophical
differences between former French colonies and
mandates such as Algeria, Syria or Lebanon, and former
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British territories such as Iraq or Israel/Palestine, while
similar differences are seen across Sub-Saharan Africa,
the Caribbean etc. There are also big differences from
country to country in the language used: the very word
“management”, now universal in English-speaking
countries is much more likely to be called
“administration” or perhaps “gestion” in a country with
a French, Spanish or Italian tradition of public service.
EXAMPLE OF POSSIBLE PRACTICAL EXERCISE
Exercise 1: In relation to your own museum, investigate
and summarise the main national and local laws and
regulations affecting both museum operations and
museum management (including financial and personnel
management)
A key role of museum management is assisting the
organisation, regardless of its size or complexity, in
achieving consistent results so the institutional mission
can be articulated and fulfilled. Of all the factors that
contribute to sustained success in museums, one of the
more important is creating a cohesive and effective team.
Sustaining such a team requires leadership, vision, and a
commitment to the value of team effort. The most
powerful function of an effective manager is that of
inspiring others to be part of the team. The transfer of
power from one or a few to many involves the delegation
of tasks and the sharing of responsibility.
Effective museum management is a responsibility that
embraces all the resources and activities of the museum,
and involves all the staff. It is a necessary element in the
development and advancement of a museum. Without
proper management, a museum cannot provide the
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appropriate care and use for collections, nor can it
maintain and support an effective exhibition and
education programme. Public interest and trust can be
lost without qualified management, and the recognition
and value of the museum, as an institution in the service
of society, can be jeopardised. It needs to be a reflection of
a high level of social development with personnel with a
range of educational and decision-making skills.
The modern museum must be an informative,
professional, systematic (in its collection care),
enjoyable, and socially active institution, and arguably
traditional methods and practices of management are
becoming increasingly obsolete. To meet the many new
challenges, museum management needs to understand
and apply contemporary management principles drawn
from research, and “best practice” in business and public
service management across a wide range of fields,
including economics, law, psychology, sociology,
information and communications technology, and
building services management. There are many different
models to be considered, not least in relation to the legal
and cultural approaches of the particular country, but
the concern for the management process now enjoys
equal importance in most countries.
Key aspects of good management are: (1) selecting the
right personnel for the job, (2) determining the work to
be done, (3) deciding the way the work is to be
accomplished, and (4) managing the relationship between
the persons doing the work and the other elements of the
museum. These activities may be accomplished either
directly or indirectly, depending on the size and scope of
the museum, but they are, however, fundamental to the
management process. Museums in every country must
address many of the same issues (or opportunities)
regardless of the institution’s size, funding source,
collections, or visitorship.
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To better understand the museum management process,
it may be important to gain greater insight into the way
museums operate, and in particular who or what authorizes
the museum and to whom do they report.
Different types of museums based on their authorising,
managing and funding agencies or organisations:
curation, and operations. All elements of the museum may
be the responsibilities of one person, or they may
accommodate many people. This tri-parted organizational
structure allows distribution of various tasks. It can be
expanded to facilitate increased activities while
maintaining direct lines of communication and an easily
Governing Authority
Director/Manager
1. Government - those museums that are established and run by local,
regional, or national governmental agencies.
2. Private - museums funded and operated by individuals or private
organisations, possibly for commercial profit
3. Museums of not-for-profit foundations, trusts and societies (known as
“independent museums” in Britain
4. University museums attached to colleges or universities and usually
established and maintained for the educational purposes of the
university, though many have an important public role as well.
The museums and similar facilities of religious
organisations and establishments usually fall in group (3)
above, except in those cases where they are the
responsibility of a government ministry for religion or a
State-financed religious body, in which case they are
probably best regarded as government museums.
Curatorial
Operational
Art
Curator
Antropology
Curator
History
Curator
Education
Division
Security
Division
Exhibits
Division
Collection
Manager
Collection
Manager
Collection
Manager
Docents
Security Staff
Preparators
Secretary
This simplified hierarchical organizational structure places the
director/mamager just below the governing authority and the rest of
the museum staff below. The “top down” structure has few members
of the staff reporting directly to the director/manager. There are only
two persons in “middle” management positions.
Governing Authority
Director/Manager
Management Structure
A crucial matter for management is to document the
structure under which the museum is authorized,
governed, and supported. This very basic process is
valuable for existing as well as newly formed museums.
Often the management structure is based on previous
practices but lacks clear documentation. A simple
diagram or organizational chart can be used to
demonstrate lines of authority and information exchange.
Most museums have a management structure that
includes at least three components - administration,
Art
Curator
Antropology
Curator
History
Curator
Education
Division
Security
Division
Exhibits
Division
Collection
Manager
Collection
Manager
Collection
Manager
Docents
Security Staff
Preparators
Secretary
This simplified horizontal organizational structure places the
director/manager just below the governing authority. It increases the number
of staff having direct access to the director/manager, and consequently
increases the number of persons in “middle” management positions.
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comprehendible reporting procedure. Budget oversight,
fund raising, and public relations, and marketing are often
a part of institutional management reporting directly to the
director/manager. The important issue is to have a clearly
defined structure with established lines of communication.
All members of the museum staff should know where they
fit into the organisation, and a simple diagram can show
their relationship to other staff members. The
organizational chart is a map that defines the system and
describes the flow of museum work, and demonstrates the
organizational attitude toward the institution.
In the most common organizational structure, the
governing authority is at the top with the
director/manager immediately following. The rest of the
staff is arranged below according to their relationship
with the primary divisions of the museum. This
arrangement is known as a hierarchic structure that can
result in an authoritative or top down approach to
institutional management. A second arrangement often
called a horizontal structure spreads the line of contact
with the director/manager to give all staff equal access.
A third alternative that is proving increasingly
common is the matrix structure. Staff, particularly senior
staff, are given both “vertical” responsibility for a
particular academic or other professional specialisation
and its staff as usual. But then in addition they have
responsibility for managing a special theme which cuts
across all or most if the museum and its staff structure,
probably through an interdisciplinary internal working
group or committee. For example the senior curator of
archaeology, responsible for managing all archaeological
staff, collections and services, might also lead a standing
working group responsible for developing and
maintaining the strategic development plan for the
whole service, while the senior curator of natural history
might have museum-wide responsibility under the
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director for information and communication technology
policy and its implementation.
Regardless of the details of the organisational
arrangements, all elements ultimately converge on the
director, who is the link between the governing authority
and the staff. The actual structure will vary, but it should
be clearly defined and care should be taken to involve
staff in a range of decision-making roles. One way to
promote this exchange is to have a management advisory
committee. This will allow members of the staff to meet
regularly with the director and other senior managers to
discuss issues related to operational activities.
Teamwork
As already indicated, the museum management methods
and structures tend to reflect the prevailing practices of
national law, organisation, concepts of business, and
levels of development. However, it is now widely
recognised that regardless of these influences the
organisational and management structure of the
museum needs to promote a spirit of teamwork, open
internal communication, and a generally accepted sense
of purpose. Good museum management is therefore also
about building teamwork, developing the institutional
vision, and creating an environment where all staff
members can work effectively and efficiently together in
order to meet institutional goals. Team building extends
far beyond the museum’s administration or personnel
office. All managers, supervisors and leaders throughout
the staff hierarchy have a very important responsibility to
keep each person in their team involved and feeling
appreciated, so they will willingly contribute their best
efforts for the good of the museum. In short, every
member of the staff should understand that they have a
meaningful role in making the museum a successful
contributor to the constituency it serves.
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Beyond being good practice, teamwork encourages
open communication and reduces misunderstandings.
As a result, individuals work toward and accept new
ideas. The potential for change is heightened, and
institutional renewal is stimulated. There are many
positive results of staff empowerment. An environment
of openness and mutual respect is a hallmark of good
management, and this must begin with the director
himself or herself. In museums, as in all other areas of
working life, when managers lose sight of the mission of
the museum, and become obsessed instead with issues
related to the organization as an entity separate from its
purpose they, and their organisation, are probably
heading for management failure.
A basic element of management and team building is
trust, which is more than a notion of legal or ethical action.
Trust is the foundation of positive relationships, both inside
and outside the museum. It facilitates a sense of intellectual
and emotional security based on mutual respect, honesty,
and loyalty. Trust promotes open exchange, constructive
assessment, and creative achievement. These elements
influence the ability of a museum to accomplish its goals. A
shared commitment to respecting individual qualities,
maintaining open communication, and promoting the
institutional mission is essential for a functional, forward
thinking, and professionally oriented museum.
Public Responsibility
The museum should have as a part of its documentation,
some form of written constitution, statute, or other
document that states the museum’s legal and financial
status. It should confirm that the museum is not
organised to make a profit for the benefit of the owners
(except in the case of private museums), and that it is
intended to serve the public need. The not-for-profit
concept maintains the idea that any surplus income
LEADERSHIP STYLES OF DIRECTORS AND OTHER
SENIOR STAFF
TRADITIONAL: “SOLO LEADER”
MODERN: “TEAM LEADER”
Plays an unlimited role: the Solo
Leader interferes in everything
Chooses to limit the leader’s own role
to particular team roles: delegates the
other necessary roles to others
Aims for conformity: the Solo Leader
Builds on the diversity of the staff: the
tries to force all staff to agree with and Team Leader positively values
adopt the leader’s own ideas
differences between people and sees
these as a strength of the organisation
The Solo Leader collects admirers and Actively seeks talent within the
sycophants, and rejects anyone with
organisation: the Team Leader does
not feel threatened by people with
new or different ideas of their own
special abilities
Treats all staff as subordinates who
must follow the Solo Leader without
question
Understands that a key role is to
develop and advance colleagues: the
Team Leader encourages the growth of
personal strengths
Lays down objectives: the Solo Leader
makes it plain what everyone is
expected to do and how they should
do it
Creates a sense of mission for the
organisation: the Team Leader projects
the vision which others can act on as
they see fit
(Adapted from the research of R.A. Belbin (1993). Team Roles at Work
(London: Butterworth-Heinneman)
generated by the museum is used exclusively for the
support of the institution and not for distribution to
individual subscribers. (However, it has to be recognised
that governments and civic authorities in many countries
around the world regard all museum income as state
revenue – in effect taxation – and still do not allow the
museum to retain and reuse self-generated income from
admission charges, publication sales etc.)
This idea of the not-for-profit nature of the museum
seems simple, but the concept is sophisticated because it is
based on the practice of philosophical ownership, which is
a very important aspect of the nonprofit sector. The
governing authority may change and the staff may change,
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but the “public” as an ill-defined entity continues to “own”
the museum as a holding place for cultural, natural, and
scientific heritage. The stakeholders of the non-profit
organization are the public, and the governing authority of
the museum represents them. The governing authority,
whether a governmental or other public body or the
trustees of a non-govermental museum, has fiduciary
responsibility for the museum. They can make decisions
and determine programs, exhibitions, and collections, but
should not receive benefits as individuals beyond knowing
they have acted as good stewards and responsible trustees.
A particular challenge for a museum and therefore the
director is to identify a coherent constituency served,
usually though not necessarily its visitors, and then actively
seek to involve that constituency as fully as possible in the
museum development and activities. (See the Marketing
and Visitor Services chapters). The museum’s constituency
therefore has a major influence on the management and
organisational structure of a museum.
Mission Statement
There may well a general understanding of what is
presumed to be the museum’s basic mission based perhaps
on the name of the museum, the nature of its collections
or the role assigned to it by the government or other
governing authority. It can be assumed that fundamentally
the mission of a history, art, or science museum is to deal
with discipline-related objects. However, it is now widely
recognised that the museum’s mission needs to be defined
and published more explicitly, in the form of a Mission
Statement, which among many other things will define
the limitations of the collection and delineate the role and
public identity of the institution. The mission statement
should be simple but carefully written, describe what the
museum is, what it does, how it operates, how it collects,
where it operates, where it collects, and why it collects.
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The mission statement should be reviewed regularly and
when circumstances warrant, it can be updated, refined, or
revised.
BUILDING A MISSION STATEMENT
The mission statement outlines the aims of the museum
and might
include a reference to your institution’s historic achievements and concern
for responsibility
define the purpose of the museum
summarise the aims of the museum
include a declaration or summary of the principles by which the museum
proposes to operate.
EXERCISE: Working in small groups of perhaps four or five
staff from different backgrounds and specialisms, draft
proposals for a new Mission Statement for your museum.
Some of the groups might be asked to take a more
traditional approach to this, asking the questions who?,
what?, when?, where?, and why? in relation to the purpose
and mission of the museum as it is today. Other groups
might be asked instead to consider a “vision” approach,
looking at what the museum should become in the future.
The different groups should then present each of the
proposals to all the staff for wider discussion.
Though a mission statement is not normally a legal
document, it is important for management and staff to
acknowledge, endorse, and abide by the established
mission of the museum.
Policies
A mission statement is a basic document for all museums
as a declaration of purpose, but it is necessary to go
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further than this, by considering and defining both
operational policy statements and medium–to–longterm policy or development plans. Policies provide the
framework for achieving the goals of the institution – its
mission. Many of the institutional polices may well have
been formulated externally, for example by the governing
authority, such as the government or university in the
case of government or university museums respectively.
Where there are special national laws and governing
authority policies that apply to the museum, copies of
these documents should be gathered together, for easy
access, carefully studied and implemented by the museum
board, director and relevant staff, according to their
different responsibilities. Where there are such special laws
etc. these will form the core of the museum’s policy
documentation, but even then there will be a need for
clear statements of supplemental policies that address
specific museum issues, 1) to define the framework for
institutional decision-making, actions, and other matters,
and 2) to define a course of action for the museum that is
considered to be expedient, prudent, or advantageous.
There are three types of policies that museums should
formulate:
1.Philosophical policies: which address ethical issues
2.Resource development policies: which guide the
allocation of major resources,
3.Working procedures: which are concerned with
operational matters.
In many organisations, the governing authority,
hopefully in consultation with the director, has typically
been largely responsible for generating the first and
second types of policies, while the third is usually
developed by the staff through consultation. However,
nowadays in forward thinking museums, staff input into
the policies regarding museum philosophy and ethics is
regarded as essential, while decisions on the allocation of
financial and other resources without staff support may
be counter-productive.
A good guiding principle is the modern concept of
“subsidiarity” (already written into the European Union’s
fundamental constitutional treaties and to its employment
charters that apply throughout its 25 member states). This
insists that decision-making and responsibility should
always be delegated to the lowest possible level within any
government or employment hierarchy. If policies are
designed to meet specific needs, then the persons most
qualified to identify and take responsibility for those needs
are the individuals with the most detailed knowledge of
the organization – the staff concerned. It is also very
important to ensure that both procedures and internal
attitudes make sure that policy recommendations may
emanate from staff at any level of the organisation: the
director and heads of curatorial and academic departments
are not the only people to have good ideas about the
museum’s operations and way forward.
Financial Management
Most museums are subject to national financial and
accounting laws and control to a great extent, and to a
governing authority that determines the financial practices
of the institution within these legal constraints. The
authority may differ and the level of financial oversight
may differ, but few museums have complete and
unrestricted control over all aspects of their finances.
Regardless of the level of flexibility or the source of
funding, all museums have an obligation to be accountable
for the money allocated to them. The process of budget
development, fund accountability, and financial planning
is generally described as financial management, and while
the guidelines may be carefully structured by the governing
authority, the implementation rests with the museum
director/manager and subsequently with the staff.
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Developing policy statements and eventually a policy
manual
Policies are essential to good management, and it is important to establish
sound policy documents that reflect the values and beliefs of the museum, the
expectations of staff, collections care and use, fiscal matters, physical plant use,
and other issues that directly impact upon the ability of the museum to fulfil its
mission. Well-defined policies help management and staff make proper
decisions and outline the framework within which they can operate.
Furthermore, policies, and publicly available documents reassure the public that
an institution has given careful consideration to it actions.
Museum policies may cover a number of issues. The following are examples of
topics that are often defined by policies:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Acquisition
Accessioning
Deaccessioning
Collection care and use
Loans
Exhibits
Public programming and education
Human resources
Financial resources
Staff evaluation
Health and safety of staff and visitors
Facility (premises) maintenance
Facility (premises) use
Natural disasters and hazards
EXERCISE:
Additional policies may be required to meet the specific needs of a particular
museum. Together with the mission statement, the policies and procedures
define the levels of accountability the museum has for the collections and the
public it serves.
1. In relation to your museum, which of the areas of policy in the checklist
above have no policy statement or document at the present time?
2. Are all the current policy documents for those areas that are already
covered up to date, or do they need revising?
3. Are there any special aspects of your museum’s work or responsibilities
which are not covered by the checklist, which ought to have a policy
statement or document?
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Financial requirements and regulations
Museum staff with responsibility for financial policy and
control need a working knowledge of the law and the
financial regulations that apply to the museum, to their
work within it, and to any special finance or public service
laws or rules applying to the conduct of the museum staff
(e.g. anti-corruption measures such as restrictions on
accepting gifts or favours). In addition there may be some
special laws or rules about issues such as:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
the use of income for ticket sales
the use of income from the museum shop
items that may be sold in the museum shop
pay (compensation) for workers
providing medical and/or social security insurance and services for staff
taxation
purchasing and accounting processes
corrupt practices and conflicts of interest
EXERCISE:
Find out which are the key financial laws and regulations applying to the
museum and the work of its staff, and create a list and brief summary of these,
together with a folder readily available to all staff containing copies of these.
Financial management is viewed by many as one of the
most difficult aspects of museum management –
something to be left to the accountants or bookkeepers
in the museum’s administrative offices or perhaps the
Ministry. In reality it is essential that all staff helping to
prepare budgets or control projects and expenditure have
an understanding of both financial principles and
practical budgeting and expenditure control, and both
the budget document and the internal financial control
procedures need to be simple and usable.
In the simplest terms, an annual budget is a
management tool and planning document stated in
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money terms. However, budgeting is more than a matter
of balancing expected revenue income with
expenditures. It indicates the money expected to be
available from the various sources (government grants,
admission charges, trading, donations and sponsorship),
the money needed (for continuing operations - by
projection, and for planned improvements or other
changes according to the development plan for the year),
and the difference between the two. The budget also
allows management to determine the most appropriate
alternatives for the allocation of resources, whether for
new developments or as a result of changes in policies or
priorities. The budget is therefore a statement of intent
that is used to guide an institution’s activities and which
empowers the museum’s management to decide how to
use financial resources most effectively.
The relationship between the mission-oriented goals
and financial resources is critical, and budget formulation
must be seen as an integral part of the planning and
management process. As an instrument of managerial
control, once the budget year commences, the budget is
used to track actual spending and receipts against planned
targets. Signs of differences between expenditures and the
projected budget may signal the need to slow spending or
increase income, or to shift resources from one category or
financial commitment to another. Differences in
spending or in revenues that amount to more than
incidental departures from the planned amounts require
senior management’s attention. Also, in these
circumstances it may well be that an early report to the
governing authority will be required, since in most
administrative systems, whether governmental or not-forprofit nongovernmental, the director or other budget
manager and controller is forbidden to spend more than
the amounts authorised without the approval of the
Ministry, Board or governing or regulating body.
Most museums receive income from different sources.
Often the primary support comes from the government,
but even in that case, additional income may come from
admission charges, the gift shop, donations, or food
service, though in very many countries government and
civic museums and similar cultural bodies are still not
allowed to keep their admission charges or any other
income that they earn, but are instead required to pay
everything over immediately to the finance ministry or
town hall.
In the case of museums outside direct government
control, or where traditional government regulations
have been changed, museums may have several selffinancing opportunities, such as:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Admission charges
Gift shop
Food service
Marketing
Tourism facilities and services
6. Voluntary contributions
7. Corporate sponsorships
8. Consolidation and merger
9. Publishing
10. Fees for travel company tours
These days, most museums seem to be facing financing
challenges, particularly reductions in governmental
subsidies and ever increasing operating costs. This
situation may change, increase, or decrease depending on
the museum and the host country, government, or
organisation.
The accounting system used by the museum will
undoubtedly reflect the requirements of the governing
authority. The process should identify whether specific
funds are restricted, that is, to be used only for specific
purposes, or unrestricted, allowing greater flexibility and
decision-making by the museum director/manager and
staff.
The museum’s operating budget deals with the day-today financial activities of the museum over the approved
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accounting period (normally a continuous period of 12
months – usually linked to the national or governmental
accounting and tax year). This allocation or allotment
may be based on the expenses of the previous year or
determined by the museum’s activities. It is prepared
annually for showing expected revenues and expenses for
the current year. It reflects the relationship between
anticipated income and projected expenses. Though in
determining the overall operating budget for the coming
year the governing authority may lay down the amounts
or proportions to be allocated to certain categories of
expenditure, a measure of management level decisionmaking generally remains, affording the director much
flexibility within these limits.
The normal museum budget usually details all the
authorised expenditures (and any revenue income targets)
of the organisation, and thus the organisation’s entire
financial picture. In contrast with this a project budget
relates only to a particular project or activity, usually of
limited duration, ranging from a major building scheme,
through to a temporary exhibition or other special event
When they are written and approved, budgets are
developed as “projections” (or “forecasts”), usually based on
the best estimates of museum management using past
records. After the money is spent or received, the final
accounts are re-defined as “actuals”. Projections are made
when the budget is being developed, and actuals are the
result of accounting for the funds received and expended,
when the project is completed, or at the end of the budget
year, when the actual expenditure may be the same as the
projection, though the two may be different. Some
government and other accounting systems and rules
permit in certain conditions the movement of funds from
one account to another (often referred to as “virement”) to
meet the requirements of the museum, but other systems
do not allow that flexibility.
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It is important to understand that budgeting must be an
on-going process, not something done once a year and
ignored the rest of the time. A budget is a working
document that should be reviewed monthly by the
director, other appropriate staff members such as
departmental heads, and (probably) members of the
museum’s governing authority. This scrutiny is important
because neither income nor expense can be predicted with
total accuracy. Regular review is the only way museum
management can know where it stands financially in time
to make necessary controls on expenditure or projects. For
effective budget comparisons between years the financial
or fiscal year should remain the same unless there are
compelling reasons to change.
Six rules for planning a budget:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Be specific in making projections.
Do not be too optimistic in your projections.
Make the budget realistic.
Establish minimum internal budgets.
Distinguish between fixed costs (e.g. permanent staff, building costs,
services) and programme or special project budgets.
6. Do not underestimate overhead expenses.
A “Balance Sheet” for a museum is a statement of the
overall financial position on a specific date, detailing
among other things all of the organisation’s financial
assets, such as money in the bank, the value of premises
and equipment, together with details of what the museum
owes on that date, such as any loans and unpaid bills.
Though a model very familiar from the world of business,
in a growing number of countries, governments and the
regulatory authorities for not-for-profit bodies now
require government departments and services and non-
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governmental bodies to adopt business accounting systems
and rules including the preparation and publication of an
annual balance sheet and financial report.
Museum Ethics and Management
There are a number of ethical issues that relate to the
museum’s policy, management and particularly its use of
money and other resources, not least its collections.
Certainly, there are national laws addressing
accountability, however the issue of ethical responsibility
is not limited by national or political boundaries. In
order to meet accepted standards of institutional ethics,
every museum should have a financial management
policy that among other things defines who has
authority to expend institutional funds, the nature of
materials or objects that can be purchased, and the
method of budgetary oversight. Records should be kept
of all expenditures, funding sources, and every
adjustment to the budget. Regular reports of the
institution’s financial status should be made available to
the proper authorities. An open (transparent) budgeting
process is the best way to avoid problems and suspicions.
A museum’s public responsibility revolves around the
ethical correctness of its activities including the care and
use of collections, as well as proper institutional
management. Ethical responsibility is evidenced by
interaction inside and outside the organization and the
way a museum conducts its activities. An ethical
museum is one in which all participants acknowledge the
core values and where those values are defined in the
context of the museum’s mission.
Planning
Effective museum planning should be a holistic activity
that takes a large view of the museum’s history, mission,
collections, staff, facilities, funding, community support,
Planning I - The planning process
In the simplest terms, a museum needs to plan to reaffirm
or to modify its mission — why it exists, what its purpose
is, and what it does, and to agree on its vision – where it
wants to be and what it wants to do in the coming years.
The ultimate product of the planning process is a guide to
govern the activities of the museum. It is not the purpose
of the plan to decide what should be done in the future,
but to decide what should be done now to make desired
things happen in the future.
Planning is likely to include some or all of the following:
1. Financial Planning: These are issues related to the current and future
funding needs of the museum and its ability to secure sufficient
resources to support activities for the execution of its stated mission.
2. Community Needs and Involvement: Planning for the changing needs
of the community to enable the museum to develop effective responses
appropriate to its mission and priorities.
3. Human Resources Planning: These issues concern the recruitment,
training, and retaining of sufficient qualified personnel with adequately
diverse backgrounds to fulfill staff and volunteer service needs.
4. Organisational/Structural: These issues evaluate the museum
structure to determine the best configuration to meet current and future
museum and community needs through the provision of quality, costeffective services.
5. Communications/Marketing/Visibility: These issues ask how the
museum can make itself more visible and inform the public about its
mission and services, and consider what resources will be needed to
execute the processes of gaining greater visibility.
6. Contribution to National Agendas: Whether or not the museum is part
of a national museums or antiquities service, the museum’s institutional
agenda should support increased awareness and advocacy of national
issues such as conservation, funding, accountability, and standards.
7. Service Effectiveness: These issues relate to evaluation of services,
programs, and exhibits and the results, to measure museum
effectiveness in meeting the needs of targeted populations, and
ensuring that marginal services will be enhanced or discontinued.
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Planning – II – issues to be considered:
SWOT Analysis
Elements of the museum that should be considered in the
planning process:
One of the methods for analyzing the institutional assets is
called SWOT. This process is not an end unto itself, but a
method for gathering information to be used in the
planning process. This technique calls for an examination
of the institution’s:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Mission
Organization
Decision making
Fund raising
Resource allocation
Performance evaluation
Organisational effectiveness
–
–
–
–
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
EXERCISE:
Evaluation
The final stage in the planning process is self-evaluation. It
is an important way to determine the effectiveness of the
museum and a valuable method for deciding the value or
purpose of the institutional mission. Having established its
goals through its planning process the museum needs to
develop strategies for achieving and evaluating those goals
and objectives.
For example, an institutional self-evaluation should aim to
help the museum and its staff to:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
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Identify needs in society
Define its relation to the mission of the museum
Evaluate its capabilities as a museum
Assess its external environment
Set objectives for the museum
Select strategies for the museum
Design curatorial, exhibition, educational and other public programmes
for the museum
Determine a future budget for the museum
Evaluate the overall performance of the museum
Meeting in small groups of staff, share ideas about the museum and consider
them in the four categories.
audience, political status, local and regional threats, and
other environmental and social potentialities in making
decisions that will guide the museum into the future. This
planning process allows the museum to assess, redefine,
and implement its mission, programming and exhibitions,
and the audience served. There is a close link between the
planning process and marketing because the planning
must precede the marketing, and the marketing analysis of
a museum is a part of the planning process.
Planning helps develop successful management as a basis
for strong governance by the supervising authority, sound
management by the director and staff, effective funding
and utilisation, and developing constructive programme
evaluation by all participants in assessing the effectiveness
of the museum in fulfilling its mission. Every museum in
the world can be improved, and effective planning is an
important part of the quality assurance and continuing
improvement process.
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Without a continous programme of planning and
evaluaton, the museum’s effort may well be haphazard
with unpredictable outcomes. Planning should focus on
achieving the most appropriate “fit” between an
organization and the environment in which it operates.
In this context the environment means those conditions
that exist both inside and outside of the organization
that influence its operations.
Concluding Comments
Employment by a museum is a public trust involving
great responsibility, and the roles of the senior
management including the director are among the least
well-defined responsibilities in the contemporary
museum. This ambiguity is due to the wide range of
managerial duties that include various museum activities
as well as the technological, political, and social
capabilities that are necessary to guide the museum in
uncertain and demanding times. The director must be a
public representative, service advocate, and museum
professional all at the same time, and also be capable of
securing essential resources for the museum while
maintaining the integrity of the institution. He or she
needs the scholarly and administrative skills to promote
the mission of the museum, as well as excellent
communication skills, particularly the ability to explain
both major and minor but critical issues that may not be
understood by the public.
The management process for a museum is often
challenging but always rewarding for those persons
committed to serving the interests of the public,
protecting the commonwealth of the people, and
promoting goodwill and understanding. Good
management is about institutional sustainability,
professional ethics, respect, loyalty, honesty, and
dedication. Museum directors and all other professional
To be a successful leader of the institution, the museum
director should keep the following key points:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
envision institutional goals
affirm institutional values
motivate the staff
manage institutional responsibilities
achieve workable unity
explain challenges and opportunities
serve as a symbol,
represent the museum and group externally, and
renew staff and institutional commitments
and administrative staff with managerial responsibilities
must perform their duties with integrity and in
accordance with the most stringent ethical principles as
well as the highest standards of objectivity.
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Managing People
Patrick J. Boylan
Professor Emeritus, City University London
Museum personnel: the key to museum
effectiveness
The employees of the museum, whether paid or
volunteer, are the institution’s most vital asset. Regardless
of the importance of the collections, without the
museum staff who curate and conserve the collections
and display or otherwise make these available to their
public, even the museum’s most important treasures will
be of little real value or use, while without proper
preventive conservation (as a very minimum) the
collections will almost certainly deteriorate until they
could eventually be totally lost.
Similarly, while good security arrangements are very
likely to involve the use of both physical and electronic
barriers and devices, these also depend on effective
staffing for their proper operation and monitoring.
Larger museums, at least, also need a wide range of
administrative and other professional and support staff
to work in important areas such as buildings, financial
and human resources (personnel) management,
exhibition and design work, and in marketing and
public relations.
Understanding personnel management
Even where specialist personnel or human resources
managers are employed by the museum it is essential that
all the more senior staff of the museum should also
understand both the fundamentals of good personnel
management and leadership. This should be a requirement
for directors and heads of department and section heads
responsible for supervising other staff. In particular, since
the great majority of personnel management decisions are
made at the “front line” by professional and supervisory
staff who are not personnel specialists, all senior and
middle level staff regardless of their specialisations and
main duties need to have a reasonable understanding of
the museum’s official personnel procedures and any
relevant national law.
Also, every member of staff has the right to understand
their own terms and conditions of employment, together
with any general staff rules. As far as possible all of these
should be written in simple language, and copies should
be easily available for employees to consult at any time.
The other chapters of this Handbook seek to present
“best practice” guidance that is relevant to almost any
museum or similar institution anywhere in the world. In
contrast with this, however, the personnel principles,
rules and procedures adopted by a museum, including
employment contract terms and working conditions,
will usually have to be based closely on the national laws
and regulations of the country relating to employment,
together with the employment principles and rules of the
employing ministry or other governing authority in the
case of public museums and related bodies.
It is important to recognise that there can be major
differences in these laws and rules from country to country.
Even several decades or more after the end of colonisation
strong differences based on the legal systems and traditions
of the former colonial or mandate powers often still survive
in the different national legal systems and in the principles
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and rules of both general employment, and especially those
relating to public services.
Big differences between traditions of employment and
contract law, and therefore in personnel management
practice and rules still persist between countries with a
Civil Law (Roman Law) tradition developed under
former French administrations, as in Algeria, Lebanon,
Syria or Tunisia, compared with those of the English
Common Law systems of former British colonies and
mandated territories, such as Iraq, Jordan, most of the
Gulf States or Israel and Palestine.
PRACTICAL EXERCISE TO IDENTIFY KEY FACTORS IN
RELATION TO EMPLOYMENT TERMS AND
CONDITIONS
1. Prepare a list of the main national laws and rules governing employment
terms and conditions in the country
2. If yours is a public museum, also summarise the main government
regulations or agreements controlling employment conditions for your
institution
3. In addition to these do you have a Staff Handbook or Staff Agreement
setting out the detailed employment procedures and conditions?
The main categories of museum work and
museum employees
Again, national traditions play a major part in
determining the nature and range of jobs found in a
museum. In some traditions there will still be only a very
narrow range of museum employees, with just two
predominant categories: highly educated specialists
working primarily with the specialist collections or
research programmes of the museum – what have been
termed “scholar-curators” – and the security, building
maintenance and other support staff.
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However, in other museum traditions, perhaps even in
apparently very similar countries or museums, there can
be a very diverse range of specialist staff, covering
perhaps twenty or more specialist professions. These
other specialisms include scientific conservation and
restoration, field research, documentation, education
and interpretation, and visitor services specialist
personnel, together with a wide range of specialists in a
range of managerial, administrative and financial duties.
(See also the section on organisational structures in the
Management chapter of this Handbook).
A good indication of the potential range and diversity
of the museum profession today is seen in the list of
specialised branches of the profession recognised by the
International Council of Museums ( ICOM) and its
International Committees (see Box 2).
Personnel information, involvement and fairness
While each type of museum employee will require
experience or training relating to their specific role and
duties there is some basic information and understanding
that apply to all staff. (See Box 3).
However, successful staff management requires much
more than good leadership from the Director and proper
management of employment procedures by specialist
Human Resources or Personnel Officers. There needs to
be a strong understanding of, and commitment to, good
employee relations and fair treatment of all employees by
all staff at every level of responsibility. This has been
shown by a great deal of independent survey research on
what creates and maintains an effective organisation and
good staff relations, (see Box 4):
Recruiting and retaining high quality staff
Fair and equal staff management procedures are both a
practical necessity and an ethical obligation. Fairness must
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BOX 2:
THE MAIN SPECIALISED BRANCHES OF THE
MUSEUM PROFESSION FOUND IN ICOM’s VARIOUS
SPECIALIST INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEES
1. Museum directors and chief executives
2. Curators working with specific types of museum or museum collections
(ICOM recognises International Committees and Affiliated Organisations
covering no less than 25 such specialisations)
3. Conservator-restorers and other specialised technical personnel
4. Registrars and other documentation specialists
5. Museum teachers and other education, communication and community
liaison staff;
6. Museum-based researchers including field archaeologists, ecologists,
geologists, ethnographers, social historians and other external fieldwork
staff
7. Museum architects, designers and interpreters
8. Exhibition personnel
9. Audiovisual and new technologies specialists
10. Museum librarians, archivists, documentation and information specialists
11. Museum security specialists
12. General and specialised management and administration personnel,
including those responsible for financial, personnel, legal and buildings
management
13. Public relations, marketing and other commercial activities
14. Staff training personnel, including the museum training officers and the
teaching staff of museological training institutions
begin with a clear commitment to equality of opportunity,
which ought to be expressed in a written Equal
Opportunities Policy, which should cover equality and
fairness in recruitment, promotion, day-to-day supervision
and management, pay and other benefits, pension rights,
and the training opportunities. This policy should require
the use of agreed procedures in relation to all stages of the
recruitment of a new member of staff, or in considering an
application for promotion within the Museum.
BOX 3:
BASIC INFORMATION ALL STAFF SHOULD
UNDERSTAND REGARDLESS OF THEIR JOB OR
SENIORITY
ICOM’s Training of Personnel Committee has advised
museums to ensure that every individual museum worker
understands the museum’s role in society, and their own
roles in the particular institution. It is recommended that the
initial training or briefing for newly recruited staff should
explain the significance of employee’s work in relation to
the overall aims and programme of the museum. The aim
should be to ensure that, in relation to their own job, every
employee should be able to answer the following questions
as they apply to their own museum:
1. Museums: why do we have them and what is their function in society?
2. Collections: how do we get them, how do we study them and care for
them, and what do we do with them?
3. Museum organisation: who does what in the museum and how do
they do it?
4. The museum and its public services: why do we provide them, how
do we organise them, and how are they used?
5. Physical facilities: how do we provide maximum access to museum
facilities while safeguarding the collections?
Once a staffing structure has been agreed for the
museum (see the Management chapter), each staff
position needs to be properly analysed in order to create
a Job Description for each post which tells both those
applying for a vacancy and all existing staff what are the
key features of the job, including purpose, conditions of
employment, key tasks and main responsibilities. After
the Job Description has been agreed there should be a
further analysis of what qualifications, skills and
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BOX 4:
CORPORATE HEALTH AND EFFECTIVENESS
Management researcher Brian O’Neill (Professional
Manager January 1993) has found that to be successful
and effective an organisation needs the following:
1. A common sense of direction and purpose
2. Well-designed jobs
3. Staff who feel they are being treated fairly, with their value properly
recognised and appreciated
4 A participative style of management
5. Everyone to be kept informed of plans and events
6. Each employee should feel a valued member of a team
7. Well-designed working places and facilities
8. A shared understanding of roles
9. Everyone to be trained for the job
10. Fair opportunity for promotion
11. Leaders and supervisors who visibly show they care and are supporting
12. Staff being involved in planning change from the beginning
13. Opportunities for staff to use their skills
14. Opportunities for staff to contribute ideas.
EXERCISE: Working in small groups, discuss frankly the
present state of your own museum or other organisation
(e.g. Section of a Ministry), using this checklist and identify
at least five priority areas for improvement.
experience are needed in order to be able to do the job:
this is called the Person Specification. The Job
Description and Person Specification are very important,
since together they should be the key to the selection
procedure that follows.
The Person Specification in particular should be used
to assess and score each person applying for the vacancy
position or promotion, and will therefore be the basis of
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the final offer of appointment. Examples of Job
Descriptions and Person Specifications for two typical
museum positions are shown below (a senior curator
position in Box 5 and a conservation officer in Box 6).
It is then necessary to decide how to assess the
applications received against the Person Specification. A
wide range of assessment methods are in use across the
world (see Box 7) and it is necessary to agree in advance
which combination of these should be used in any
particular case.
Once the successful candidate has been chosen and has
accepted, the appointment needs to be confirmed in
writing. In some countries this will involve the drawing
up and signing of a formal contract of employment in a
particular form laid down by law. In other countries a
less formal procedure is acceptable. Either way, it is
important to ensure that both the employer and the new
or promoted employee agree on the terms and
responsibilities of employment. As a minimum, the
agreed written statement should include the basic
information set out in Box 9.
However, the recruitment process does not finish
when the new employee starts work, or when someone
takes up their new position after promotion. It is most
important that whoever is responsible for the personnel
function, whether a specialist human resources manager,
a general administrator, or perhaps the director, follows
up the appointment with a planned programme of initial
training to introduce the new person to their duties and
responsibilities, and to ensure that any necessary
additional training, whether formal or informal, is
provided without delay.
It is also very desirable that, in addition to support
from Personnel, the new employee also has a nominated
member of the professional or technical staff within their
own area of expertise to act as a “mentor” or guide and
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BOX 5: SAMPLE JOB DESCRIPTION – I
JOB TITLE : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Conservation Officer
NORMAL WORKING BASE : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Regional Museum Conservation Centre Annexe
GRADE (SALARY AND WORKING CONDITIONS) : .National Civil Service Grade Y
RESPONSIBLE TO : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Collections Manager
RESPONSIBLE FOR : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 members of staff (2 Assistant Curators, Conservator, Documentation and Clerical Assistant), plus students and
volunteers from time to time
JOB PURPOSE : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Responsible for the conservation and appropriate documentation of the Service’s collections; support for
conservation in other relevant areas of the Service; store development and management, including monitoring
of environmental variables; Health and Safety legislation and procedures; Emergency Planning for the Service;
management of the Section.
JOB ACTIVITIES :
1. Customer Services
a) Ensures that the needs of customers are determined, provided for and
reviewed according to agreed procedures and including the special
needs of people with disabilities.
b) Manages and develops the advisory work of the Section in relation to
collection and information sources in response to enquiries from a wide
range of customers.
c) Manages and develops a wide-ranging interpretative programme targeted
on the needs of the customers, the Service and other associated
organisations, utilising the available resources to their best advantage.
d) Oversees access to the use of collections and information resources by
customers of all kinds through on-line (Web) systems, loans, visits and
other means.
e) Contributes to visitor services initiatives as appropriate.
f) Maintains statistics on the use of object and information resources and
enquiries generally.
2. Maintains the Resource Base
a) Responsible for the acquisition, preparation, conservation and
documentation of specimens relating to the defined subject and
collecting area, and maintaining these collections in appropriate condition
for their well-being and for customer access.
b) Responsible for the collection, storage, interpretation and evaluation of
information relating to the museum’s agreed geographical territory
through fieldwork, research and other programmes.
c) Represents the interest of the Museum on a variety of local and national
forums and in government enquiries as the need arises.
d)
Develops fieldwork programmes in conjunction with other relevant parts
of the Museum and the government service.
e) Manages the Section library.
f) Produces fully researched texts relating to the subject and the collections
for internal and external publication.
3. Management Functions
a) Plans and organises the work of the section, ensuring work programmes
are completed to agreed schedules and outputs are achieved.
b) Contributes to the Service’s Annual Plan.
c) Manages delegated budgets according to Departmental requirements.
d) Participates in the management of the Service generally and takes
responsibility for projects and initiatives as determined by the
Management Team.
e) Arranges Section meetings and other team meetings as appropriate to
the effective working of the Section and the Service.
f) Manages the staff of the section and, as appropriate, including contract staff,
student placements, volunteers and specialists from other organisations.
g) Assists in managing any relevant joint arrangements with other
organisations that are agreed from time to time, and contributes as
necessary to their specification and costing.
h) Contributes to income generation for the Service as appropriate.
i) Supports and contributes to appropriate training programmes.
j) Supports the Service’s quality assurance initiatives and encourage staff
involvement.
k) Any other duties commensurate with the grade of the post as instructed
by the Director or Assistant Director.
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BOX 5: continued. PERSONNEL SPECIFICATION FOR SELECTION AND APPOINTMENT
Attributes Sought
Essential requrements
Desirable in addition :
1. Experience
Curatorial practice in the subject area
Use of Information technology
Strategic planning experience
Established publication record
Field research experience
National/Local knowledge
Experience of answering enquiries from the public
Liaison with national and international organisations
Interpretative programmes.
Quality initiatives experience
Experience in preparing project budgets and grant applications
2. Qualifications
University degree in a relevant academic discipline
Postgraduate degree
Museology or equivalent postgraduate qualification or training
3. Motivation
Committed to the job and to the aims of the Museum
Must be able to take a strategic view
4. Attitude & Temperament
Must be a good team worker
Organisational and leadership skills
Good communicator, both verbally and in writing, and with a wide range
of people
Works methodically and takes care of details
Able to chair and participate effectively in meetings
5. Appearance & Health
Reasonably fit: able to undertake relevant fieldwork in the subject
Normal health: with some adjustment a person with some disabilities
would be able to do the job
6. Special requirements
None
Current driving licence would be useful
(Date prepared/last revised: xx/xx/200x)
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BOX 6: SAMPLE JOB DESCRIPTION – II
JOB TITLE : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Conservation Officer
BASE : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Regional Museum Conservation Centre Annexe
GRADE (SALARY AND WORKING CONDITIONS) : .National Civil Service Grade Y.
RESPONSIBLE TO : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Collections Manager
RESPONSIBLE FOR : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .One Technician, plus students and volunteers from time to time
JOB PURPOSE : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Responsible for the conservation and appropriate documentation of the Service’s collections; support for
conservation in other relevant areas of the Service; store development and management, including monitoring
of environmental variables; Health and Safety legislation and procedures; Emergency Planning for the Service;
management of the Section.
JOB ACTIVITIES :
1. Advisory and Liaison Work
a) Advises on matters relating to conservation, including proper care,
preparation, conservation, storage and display of all items permanently
and temporarily in the care of the Service.
b) Advises on matters relating to conservation, including the proper care,
preparation, conservation, storage and display of museum objects in general.
c) Liaises with other specialist conservation staff, both internal and external,
on general conservation matters.
d) Liaises with other conservation staff, and the staff of other Sections, as
appropriate, on matters of environmental monitoring and control.
e) Liaises with external specialists, obtaining and exchanging information
and advice on matters relating to conservation.
f) Liaises with suppliers and contractors as appropriate.
g) Answer enquiries on conservation matters from customers and Service
users of all kinds.
2. Monitoring of Specimens and Environment
a) Specifies, plans, orders and manages the installation of environmental
monitoring and control equipment in stores and display areas.
b) Monitors the performance of all relevant environmental control systems
and liases with contractors and suppliers on maintenance matters.
c) Monitors the condition of all specimens permanently and temporarily in
the care of the Service.
d) Maintains an overview of storage facilities and requirements for the
Service as a whole.
3. Treatment of Specimens
a) Carries out diagnosis of, and records, the condition of all specimens
requiring, or submitted for, conservation or related treatments.
b) Determines the appropriate conservation or related treatments required
by specimens.
Carries out, or commissions for outside experts when appropriate, the
necessary conservation or related treatments.
d) Records all treatment applied.
e) Manages the Service’s requirements for conservation work, maintaining a
work programme and reporting on progress.
4. Other Duties
a) Maintains inventories of equipment, and of other conservation-related
stocks of chemicals and other consumables as required.
b) Manages the implementation of Health and Safety Regulations across the
Service.
c) Maintains stocks of chemicals, consumables, storage items and
equipment for conservation and collections management, and proper
records of these for both safety and audit purposes.
d) Organises and maintains workspaces, stores and displays as required.
e) Ensures that expenditure on stocks is within budget; keeps records of
such expenditure as required.
f) Writes reports, papers or articles for internal use, publication or
communication on specimen conservation and related matters as required.
g) Provides, with others, professional training and information exchange in
the field of conservation as appropriate.
i) Contributes to income generation for the Service as appropriate.
j) Services any relevant joint arrangements; contributes as necessary to
their specification and costing.
k) Undergoes specialist training, as the need arises, in order to carry out
specific conservation functions.
l) Any other duties commensurate with the grade of the post as directed by
the Director or Collections Manager.
c)
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BOX 6: continued. PERSONNEL SPECIFICATION
Attributes Sought
Essential requrements
Desirable in addition :
1. Experience
Specimen conservation.
Documentation of processes.
Environmental monitoring.
Preparing objects for display.
Management of collections storage.
Environmental control and monitoring systems.
Computer literacy.
2. Qualifications
Relevant degree or degree level diploma in conservation or relevant
experience.
3. Motivation
Commitment.
Must work on own initiative.
4. Attitude & Temperament
Team worker.
Organisational skills.
Methodical approach.
Good communicator – literate and articulate.
Interest in broad conservation issues.
Interest in new conservation techniques and in information technology.
5. Appearance & Health
Normal health
Must be able to lift and move medium-heavy objects safely. Some
disabilities could be accommodated but good vision (including colour
vision) and lifting strength is essential
6. Special requirements
Current valid driving licence.
(Date prepared/last revised: xx/xx/200x)
BOX 7:
EXERCISE
Analyse one existing job within the Museum and prepare
both a Job Description and a Person Specification for this.
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advisor during their first few months in their new
position. There should also be a formal review of each
new appointment after a new months, including an
informal interview with the employee, to make sure that
all is going well, and that there are no hidden problems.
Recruiting a new member of staff is a very costly
exercise in terms of time, and perhaps financially also if
there are advertising and similar costs to pay. Inevitably
there will be a period of perhaps several months during
which the new employee is still finding their way before
they reach their maximum potential and performance in
the new job. High staff turnover is both wasteful and
often a sign that there could be serious problems in the
way that the museum is being managed and operated.
Continued from page 150
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BOX 8:
RECRUITMENT AND PROMOTION SELECTION
METHODS AND APPROACHES
1. Short-listing candidates
2. Rejecting and recording candidates who are not short-listed
3. Information-gathering process:
1. group briefings, visits etc.
2. individual briefings, visits etc.
3. observed (or led) discussion groups among candidates
4. individual or group projects: practical exercises; management games
etc.
5. one-to-one interviews
6. panel interviews
7. testing: psychometric, psychological, physical, specialised aptitude
tests etc.
8. inspection of portfolio of work, documentation of evidence of
competences etc.
9. other testing, e.g. graphology
10. Interview techniques: especially questioning
a. “closed” questions - fact gathering & checking
b. standardised “open” (e.g. problem-solving) questions asked of all
candidates
c. other “open” questions
d. information exchange - candidate’s questions etc.
4. Choosing the successful candidate on the basis of the Person
Specifications, and negotiating final terms and conditions (e.g.
commencing salary, starting date)
5. Notifying unsuccessful candidates
Consequently, every effort needs to be made to retain
good staff once they have been recruited. The director
and other senior staff, including the human resources
specialists, need to ensure that both new and longerserving staff feel comfortable and valued in their role so
that they are happy to stay with the institution for the
long term.
BOX 9:
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR A STATEMENT OR
CONTRACT OF THE TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Name and address of employer
Name of employee
Job title (or short description)
Date of commencement of appointment
Date on which employment ends (if for a fixed term)
Details of pay: initial pay rate, period and method of payment, also how
pay is calculated or reviewed (e.g. by reference to an official or
government pay scale or a trade union negotiated collective agreement)
Details of the normal hours of work and related conditions (e.g.
reference to collective agreement on flexible working hours)
Arrangements for holidays and holiday pay
Arrangements relating to incapacity for work due to sickness or injury
including any sick pay rights etc.
Terms and conditions relating to pension arrangements
Length of notice due to and from the employee
Information on disciplinary and grievance rules and procedures
Rights and conditions relating to trade union recognition (if applicable)
Full details of where employees can consult official documents relating
to the employment (e.g. collective agreements on pay and conditions,
disciplinary and grievance codes etc.).
Staff management, training and professional
development
It is generally accepted these days that in order to ensure
effective operation and service there need to be regular
reviews – and ideally objective measures – of the
performance of both the institution overall, and of
individual staff within this, though there is so far no
generally accepted standard or procedure for this within
the museum sector. This is too specialised a topic to be
covered in detail in a general over-view such as this, but
there is a growing body of case studies which could be
looked at. For example, the government funds of each of
the English national museums and galleries under the
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Department of Culture, Media and Sport now operates on
a formal three year funding contract which incorporates in
each case explicit performance measures and provision for
the publication of annual performance reviews of these,
while the American Association for State and Local
History (AASLH) is developing a model scheme for use by
its (mainly small) member museums and historic sites.
Staff training and development is also a very important
part of the continuing personnel management process.
Since 1986 ICOM has insisted, through its Code of
Professional Ethics, that staff training and retraining is an
important ethical issue for both the institution and for the
individual museum professional. In the present rapidly
changing world it is no longer acceptable for a
professional, technician or administrator to undertake
training and gain qualifications at the beginning of their
careers, when they are probably still only in their 20s, and
then rely on this training for another thirty or forty years.
Very many professions are now strongly committed to the
concept of Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
under which, in order to retain professional status and
recognition, the professional must undertake a significant
amount of formal additional training or retraining within
a given period.
For example, the UK-based Museums Association now
awards its highly regarded professional Associateship and
Fellowship for only five years at a time, rather than for life
as used to be the case. Each member is then required to
keep a record of all their formal training and informal staff
development activities, such as attendance at professional
meetings or undertaking some new professional or
management activity, for discussion and review before
their qualification or professional status is renewed.
ICOM also offers guidance on the minimum specialist
and general knowledge and competence standards for
museum work in the Curricula Guidelines for Museum
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Professional Development (latest edition 2000) which
covers five broad areas of competencies—general
descriptions of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA’s)
needed to work effectively in today’s museums. The
ICOM Curricula Guidelines “tree” model shown below
(Box 10) aims to illustrate the shared and functional
competencies required by museum workers in order to
understand and perform their jobs properly. The shared
“General” and “Museology” competencies, which it is
considered that all professional museum workers should
possess, are shown as the roots and trunk of the tree of
competencies. The three major areas of functional
competencies identified as those needed to perform
specific key activities within museums, i.e. “Information
and Collections Care and Management Competencies”,
“Public Programming Competencies” and general
“Management Competencies” are shown as interrelated
branches and leaves of the Curricula Guidelines “tree”.
Disciplinary and grievance procedures
The principle of fair and equal treatment of all
employees must always apply not just to the recruitment
of museum staff, but also to all aspects of staff
management. For this reason it is important that there is
a fair and understandable procedure that will be followed
should there be any complaint about the behaviour or
performance of any member of staff. Also, any member
of staff who has a grievance or complaint about any work
related matter that affects them should similarly have the
right to put forward their complaint and to have this
investigated fairly and without undue delay.
As there can be important legal implications and
consequences if someone is, for example, dismissed
improperly or without good cause, the museum’s codes
or rules for investigating and responding to both
disciplinary complaints and staff grievances will need to
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BOX 11:
GENERAL PRINCIPLES FOR DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES
Box 10: ICOM Curricula Guidelines for Museum Professional
Development:
(full details at http://museumstudies.si.edu/ICOM-ICTOP/index.htm)
relate closely to all national labour laws (and perhaps
government service rules). However, these are likely to
include some universal principles of good personnel
management as summarised in Box 11 (Disciplinary
Procedures) and Box 12 (Dealing with Staff Grievances).
Health and Safety at Work
One of the most important management responsibilities
is to ensure that so far as reasonably possible, the
museum and its activities provide a safe and healthy
working environment for all who use the premises and
services, both staff, whether paid or unpaid, and all
visitors and other users. Typically, health and safety
responsibilities are coordinated as part of the institution’s
personnel function and where there is a specialist Health
These:
1. Should be in writing
2. Should specify to whom they apply
3. Should provide for matters to be dealt with quickly
4. Should indicate the disciplinary actions which may be taken
5. Should specify the levels of management which have authority to take
the various levels and forms of disciplinary action
6. Must ensure that immediate superiors do not have the power to dismiss
without reference to senior management
7. Must provide for individuals to be informed of the complaints against them
8. Must provide for individuals to be given an opportunity to state their
case and answer allegations before decisions are reached
9. Should give individuals the right to be accompanied by a trade union
representative or fellow employee of their choice
10. Should ensure that, except for “gross misconduct” as defined in the
Disciplinary Code for the organisation, no employees are dismissed for a
first breach of discipline
11. Must ensure that disciplinary action is not taken until the case has been
carefully investigated
12. Must ensure that individuals are given an explanation for any penalty
imposed
13. Should provide a right of appeal and specify the procedure to be followed
Underlying principles that need to be applied throughout:
14. Fairness in application of disciplinary rules: management must be
consistent, even-handed and unbiased (e.g. have other employees,
perhaps of a different grade, been guilty of a similar disciplinary offence,
and if so have they been treated differently?)
15. Representation: in the case of serious matters being investigated by a
formal disciplinary hearing, the employee accused must be allowed
assistance and representation.
Clear and consistent procedures, based on principles of natural justice,
and allowing:
16. Prior notification of the nature of the disciplinary offences alleged
17. Sufficient notice of the formal hearing (usually not less than seven clear days)
18. Separation of the roles of complainant (e.g. supervisor) and the members
of the disciplinary panel. (In the case of very small organisations it may be
necessary to bring in “outside’” independent persons as members of a
disciplinary or appeals panel because most of management have been too
closely involved in earlier stages of the case)
19. Adequate opportunity during the hearing for the employee to hear full
details of all allegations and to reply to these (including the right to call
material witnesses)
20. Promptness in all stages of investigating and pursuing disciplinary action
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BOX 12:
GENERAL PRINCIPLES FOR GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES
and Safety Manager, this post is likely to be located
within the Personnel or Human Resources Management
section of the museum. If the museum does not have a
specially trained full-time Health and Safety Manager,
then an effective alternative needs to be made. This will
probably mean that these duties will have to be
undertaken by an appropriate existing member of staff at
a fairly senior level, who will probably need specialised
training in the duties of the post.
However the health and safety function is organised,
there will always be the need for close cooperation with
all other parts of the service, and particularly with the
Premises and Security Department, since many potential
hazards relate to the construction and operation of the
buildings, and with the specialist laboratory staff, such as
that of the Conservation Department, because of the
necessary use of special and potentially hazardous
chemical substances and equipment.
Beyond this, however, health and safety must be
regarded as the responsibility of absolutely everyone. The
Director and other senior managers carry the ultimate
responsibility, and in a growing number of countries the
top management of any workplace face the possibility of
personal criminal liability in the event of any serious safety
or health failure. Similarly, the heads of all departments
and specialist sections, and supervisory staff in e.g.
conservation laboratories, each have responsibility for
ensuring that hazards are kept to a minimum within their
areas of responsibility. In addition the museum needs to
have a very active programme of both general health and
safety training, and special instruction and training in the
proper and safe use of particular processes or equipment.
However, every employee has also a responsibility to
contribute to maintaining safe and healthy working
conditions for both other members of staff, visitors, and not
least for themselves, and to comply with all necessary safety
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Definitions: . . . .Successive levels of grievances
Dissatisfaction: .Anything that disturbs an employee, whether or not
expressed in words
Complaint: . . . . .Spoken or written expression of dissatisfaction brought to
attention of supervisor and/or staff representative
Grievance: . . . . .A complaint that has been formally presented to a
management representative and/or staff representative
Grievance Procedure principles
1. All employees have a right to seek redress for grievances relating to
their employment
2. Each employee must be told how to do so
3. Management should establish, with employee representatives or trade
unions concerned, arrangements under which individual employees can
raise grievances and have them settled fairly and promptly
4. Except in very small establishments where there is close personal
contact between employer and employees, there should be a formal
written grievance procedure
5. Individual grievances and collective disputes are often dealt with through
the same procedure. Where there are separate procedures they should
be linked so that issues with wider application can be passed from one
to the other, (e.g. individual grievance can become trade dispute)
6. A Grievance Procedure policy should provide that:
a) the grievance should normally be discussed first between employee
and the immediate superior
b) if not satisfied at this stage there should be personal hearing by more
senior management representative (e.g. Departmental Head), and the
employee should have the right to be accompanied by an employee
representative or other worker if he or she so wishes
c) there should be a final right of appeal to higher level (e.g. senior
management; Governing Council of the Museum)
7. The aim should be to settle the grievance:
a. fairly
b. as near as possible to point of origin
c. simply
d. rapidly
rules. The obligations of both the institution collectively
and individual staff members are summarised in Box 13.
Finally, but by no means least, as part of its health and
safety work programme, the museum needs to have an
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BOX 13:
RESPONSIBILITY FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY IN THE
MUSEUM AND ITS ACTIVITIES
The employer’s duties include:
1. Making the workplace generally safe and without risks to health
2. Assessing the risks to your health and safety and recording the significant
findings of this
3. Making arrangements for implementing the health and safety measures
identified as being necessary by the assessment
4. Drawing up a health and safety policy statement, including details of the health
and safety organisation and arrangements in force, and ensuring that all staff
are aware of this, and know what they should do if they face a risk or danger
5. Nominating someone competent to assist with health and safety responsibilities
6. Setting up emergency procedures
7. Making sure that work equipment is suitable for its intended use, so far as
health and safety is concerned, and that it is properly maintained and used
8. Considering in advance the health and safety consequences of introducing
new equipment, materials or ways of working, and of building alterations
9. Providing adequate first-aid facilities and arranging for the regular
training and retraining of designated first aid staff
10. Making sure that the workplace meets accepted health, safety and staff
welfare requirements, e.g. for ventilation, temperature, lighting, and for
sanitary, washing and rest facilities
11. Taking all necessary precautions against danger from fire or explosion,
including the proper control and use of flammable or explosive
laboratory and other chemicals, and electrical systems and equipment
12. Avoiding hazardous manual handling operations, and where they cannot
be avoided, reducing the risk of injury by the provision of necessary
special equipment and staff training
13. Providing free of charge to all staff any necessary protective clothing and
equipment for their safety and protection, according to the nature of their
work, such as hard hats, eye protection, safety footwear and lifting aids
14. Providing necessary safety and other warning signs, barriers and alarms,
and ensure that these are maintained
Every employee also has responsibility for health and safety, and in
particular must:
1. Take reasonable care for their own health and safety at work and that of
others who may be affected by what they do or do not do
2. Cooperate with the employer and all designated staff on health and safety
3. Undertake all necessary safety training arranged by the employer, such as first
aid training or special training in the safe operation of specialist equipment
4. At all times use correctly all equipment and material provided by the
employer, including personal protective equipment, in accordance with
training or instructions
5. Not interfere with or misuse anything provided for their health, safety or welfare.
active programme of risk assessment, involving as many
staff as possible. The aim should be to identify both hazards
and risks, to evaluate each, and to seek ways of eliminating
these, or where this is impossible, to reduce each to an
acceptable level of risk. Box 14 below summarises the
national risk assessment process recommended to every
employer, whether public or private, by the United
Kingdom’s Health and Safety Executive.
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BOX 14:
HOW TO ASSESS RISKS IN THE WORKPLACE: FIVE STEPS IN RISK ASSESSMENT
HAZARD: means anything that that can cause harm (e.g. chemicals, electricity, working from ladders, etc.)
RISK: means the chance, high or low, that somebody will be harmed by the hazard
STEP 1: Look for the hazards
Walk around your workplace and look for anything that could reasonably be
expected to cause harm. Concentrate on significant hazards that could result in
serious harm or affect several people. Ask other employees what they think. The
instructions or data sheets for equipment and materials supplied by the
manufacturers of these can also help you spot hazards and put risks in their
true perspective, as can the museum’s records of past accidents or ill-health.
STEP 2: Decide who might be harmed and how
Don’t forget the possible risk to members of the public, such as museum
visitors, to specially vulnerable people such as young workers, new and
expectant mothers, the disabled etc. who may be at particular risk, and to
workers who may not be in the workplace all the time, such as maintenance
contractors or part-time cleaners.
STEP 3: Evaluate the risks and decide whether the existing precautions
are adequate or whether more should be done
Consider how likely it is that each hazard could cause harm, and whether more
can be done to reduce the risk. Even after all precautions have been taken,
some risk usually remains. What you have to decide for each significant hazard
is whether this remaining risk is high, medium or low. Your real aim is to make
all risks small by adding to your precautions as necessary. Give priority to any
remaining risks which are high and/or those which could affect most people. In
taking action ask yourself (a) can I get rid of the hazard altogether? (b) if not,
how can I control the risks so that harm is unlikely? In controlling risks apply
the principles below, if possible in the following order:
a. try a less risky option
b. prevent access to the hazard (e.g. by guarding)
c. organise work to reduce exposure to the hazard
STEP 4: Record your findings
Your real aim is to make all risks small by adding to your precautions as
necessary.
If you find that something needs to be done, draw up an ‘action list’ and give
priority to any remaining risks which are high and/or those which could affect
most people.
STEP 5: Review your assessment and revise it if necessary
Sooner or later you will bring in new equipment, substances and procedures
which could lead to new hazards. If there is any significant change, add to the
assessment to take account of the new hazard. Don’t amend your assessment
for every trivial change, but if something introduces significant new hazards of
its own, you will want to consider them in their own right. In any case, it is good
practice to review your assessment from time to time to make sure that the
precautions are still working effectively.
EXERCISE:
Using the guidance notes above, carry out a risk assessment for either your own working area within your museum, or,
working with colleagues in a group, prepare a risk assessment for the whole building.
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Marketing
Paal Mork
Head of Communications and Marketing, Norsk Folkemuseum, Oslo
During recent decades, museums have put a greater
emphasis on attracting the visitors’ attention, and
marketing has therefore become an essential museum
management tool for museums in a growing number of
countries. Important reasons are that in many countries
government financial support has been reduced, while the
competition for people’s leisure time is tougher. Society in
general is also faced by an increasing flow of information,
and getting visibility is more challenging then ever.
Museums that focus on the audience in all aspects of
their operations have a greater potential to gain
popularity and new visitors. Communicating with the
audience is not a one-way process. The truly successful
museum will not only communicate its mission to its
audience, it will also receive feedback from the audience
and then use this information to adapt the needs and
wants of the audience in its development programmes.
I believe that museums in many parts of the world,
particularly those in developing countries, have a great
potential for increasing visitors numbers if more
emphasis is put on a marketing orientation. In a more
stabilised political situation, we can assume that more
travellers with cultural interests will find their way to
what have been over recent decades politically troubled
regions and countries of the world, such as the Middle
East and countries like Afghanistan or Iraq. “My clients
are thirsty for the knowledge that Iraq has”, Geoff Hann
of Hinterland Travel says, while museums in Iraq or
other countries that have recently suffered conflict will
probably also have a potential to be meeting places for
friends and families. In the longer term they might also
be venues for reconciliation between divided
communities, as is now happening in post-conflict
Northern Ireland. But this all requires a positive attitude
towards marketing and audience services.
This chapter provides an introduction to the key topics
of modern museum marketing. I will start with the
marketing mix, then describe the strategic planning process
and end up with a brief introduction to brand-building.
1. Introduction to marketing
A common mistake both in business life and in
museums is to regard marketing solely as the process of
promotion and sale. “Selling is only the tip of the
marketing iceberg”, the famous Professor in Marketing,
Philip Kotler (2003, p. 9) says. Modern marketing is
characterised as the holistic process, ranging from
designing the product, segmenting the market,
managing the promotion and finally researching the
customer’s satisfaction. A commonly used definition is
that of the American Marketing Association (1985):
“Marketing is the process of planning and executing the
conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of
ideas, goods and services to create the exchanges
processes that satisfy individual and organisational
objectives” (Lancaster 2002, p.3).
Production orientation
In the early days of industrialisation, manufacturers were
focussed on making the best possible products. In a
general shortage of goods, the customer would buy them
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without requiring special products and certain design.
Henry Ford said about his Model T car that, “you can have
any colour you want; as long as it is black!” (Lancaster
2002, p.7). No one even thought of asking for a clear blue
metallic one with cream leather interiors!
Sales orientation
During the 1950s and 1960s, markets became filled up
with most industrial products and the sales rates decreased.
The orientation was then shifted towards the sale of the
products. The production went on as before, and to assure
that the products were sold, sales strategies were developed
to convince customers to buy even more goods.
Marketing orientation
With a marketing orientation the customer becomes the
main focus. Instead of making products to sell, the
manufacturer considers the needs and wants of the
customers and makes products to satisfy them.
Production is based on needs of the market. Marketing
orientation not only includes a process of promoting
products to the customer, but also a communication and
research to find the needs of the customer. This
orientation characterises most modern marketing. The
development is reflected in the international travel
industry. In the 1970s and 1980s, tourists were satisfied
by being loaded on huge charter aircrafts and guided
around in common groups or they sat on a beach with
thousands of others. However, nowadays the trend is
very much towards independently tailored tours and
unique experiences.
Societal marketing concept
A further development is also emerging, called the
societal marketing concept. This argues that production
should also take care of the environment and social
needs. As the French oil company Total puts it: “Civil
Society expects companies, especially the biggest ones, to
manage the environmental impact of their operations
162
and industrial risk, as well as to plan for and manage
their direct and indirect social and societal impacts,
wherever they are located”. (Desmarest 2003, p.2)
The current orientation of museums in relation to
marketing theory and practice
Many museums are still production oriented. In such
cases the choice of exhibitions is decided by the curators
alone, based on their personal interests and topics of
research. The facilities for visitor services have probably
been neglected, since the senior curators may never visit
these areas anyway and almost certainly rarely encounter
the ordinary visitors to the museum. Typically, the
museum programmes are built around long-term plans
where only internal factors are taken into consideration.
And when, as a consequence, the management sees
visitors disappearing, they hire a marketing manager to
promote the old exhibitions in accordance with the sales
orientation approach. But very often, the true problem is
lack of attractive exhibitions and other visitor facilities.
Simply intensifying the promotion and sales efforts can
hardly solve that problem: you need to have a relevant
and worthwhile “product” to sell first. A successful
museum is one that integrates marketing fully into the
strategic planning and budgeting process. All audienceoriented efforts are then done with the visitor in mind,
and visitors’ wants, needs and behaviours are regularly
researched and new programmes developed in
accordance to them.
For example, the Norwegian Broadcasting Company
was the only authorised TV channel in Norway until
1991. The company was production oriented and the
producers decided what programs they wanted to make
and when to broadcast them. After deregulation, the
company had to adapt to a situation of competition, and
started producing and transmitting programmes based
on viewer ratings, changing over to the principle of
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marketing orientation. As a consequence, the company
remains the most popular TV channel in Norway despite
all the new competition.
The marketing mix
The marketing orientation depends on a set of key
variables in the process from product design to sale.
These variables are called the marketing mix, and a
common way of sorting them out is based on E. Jerome
McCharty’s “4Ps of Marketing”: Product, Price,
Promotion and Place (Kotler 2003, p.6). The 4Ps
emphasises that everything from shaping the product to
the promotion is marketing.
4Ps of marketing
Product Price Promotion Place
Product
The product is the object or services the customer wants
or needs and it is the essential part of the marketing mix.
If the product is not needed or wanted no other efforts will
make it sell. From the point of view of the general visitor
the museum’s “products” in these terms are mainly the
main galleries, the special exhibitions and the other parts
of the museum open to the public. But for other visitors
this also means the research facilities, the service areas and
places to meet friends and relatives, such as a museum
restaurant or cafe. All of these areas have to meet the
visitor’s satisfaction, because if the museum is not
attractive, it will not gain and maintain popularity even if
you offer free admission and spend a fortune on
advertising. This was the big mistake of those who tried in
the past to build marketing success from the production
and sales orientation approaches to marketing. The same
mistake has been made in many museums around the
world. The exhibitions were “production” based, and not
made to satisfy the needs and interests of visitors: in these
circumstances promotional activities could not save the
museum. Through surveys and interviews with focus
groups, the audience can make an impact in the early
phase of the exhibition planning and development, and
the resulting exhibitions will then be much more related to
the audience’s preferences.
Price
In the product industry, price is an important tool to win
competition and gain profit. For museums, price is a
widely used tool to encourage certain target groups. The
entrance fee should not be the same for every visitor. If the
museum wants to make profit in the travel industry, it can
be smart to offer the tour operators reduced prices.
Sponsors and donors are happy to receive free tickets for
employees and important contacts. Maybe it would be an
idea to cooperate with other museums to launch a
common ticket valid for different museums? In Europe a
strategy of free entrance to museums is gaining popularity.
The idea is to encourage groups that normally do not visit
museums or cannot afford a museum visit to come.
Promotion
The need for promotional activities can vary a lot. A
museum showing unique treasures known to most of the
world can have a steady flow of visitors with hardly any
promotion, while the neighbouring museum with less
attractive collections have to struggle for every visitor. The
promotional activities are described in detail later in this
chapter.
Place
For the product orientated industry, the placing and the
distribution of the products are essential. An advertised
product that is not in stock will make the customer
disappointed. Most museums have a fixed location, and
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“place” is rarely the same as distribution. “Place” in museum
marketing terms is commonly characterised as the visitor’s
transportation to the museum. If the museum is placed way
out of town with poor transport connections or in an area
that is not considered as safe, it could be an idea to organise
transport from a downtown location for the visitors. In very
different circumstances both the Getty Museum, Los
Angeles, and the Zuider Zee Museum in the Netherlands
provide visitor parking away from the museum, with free
transport, by tramway and by boat respectively, to the
museum itself. Museum bus services (or even museum ferry
boats in Amsterdam) that stop at the city’s museums are
common around the world. If the museum receives
educational or tour bus groups, bus parking is needed. It is
a good idea to offer travelling exhibitions, so that even
people from smaller cities and towns or other regions can
appreciate the museum collections.
2. Strategic market planning
The marketing mix needs to become part of the museum’s
philosophy and long-term goals in a strategic plan. The
strategic plan points out an overall management structure
for all activities of the museum. It defines the mission and
describes how and by which objectives the mission shall be
accomplished. The plan will of course also deal with topics
that are not related to marketing, like collection
management and research, but I will not discuss these
matters here. The strategic plan has to be continuously
evaluated and adapted to changing circumstances. An
audience-oriented museum will direct the targets in the
strategic plan towards the preferences of the public, and
the plan will be market-oriented. As a supplement to the
strategic plan, the museum can develop a separate
marketing plan and plans for other activities.
Mission and Vision
“Mission” describes the purpose of the organisation. The
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Marketing-related issues of the strategic plan
Mission and vision
Situation analysis
The purpose and ideas of the organisation
Internal and external factors analysed in relation to
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
Objectives
The organisation’s main targets for the coming period
Market segmentation The division of recipients in target groups
Promotion
The efforts of informing the market
Control
A final analysis of all objectives in relation to their
achievement
main objectives of museums, to collect, conserve, study
and communicate, are often listed on equal level and
without any strong priorities. A general and describing
mission, formulated in the early days of the museum, will
not encourage the museum to further development. If the
museum wants to specialise in a certain field, or move
towards a marketing orientation, a reformulation of the
mission can be required. Through a reformulation process,
the management can see and understand more clearly what
the objectives and future challenges of the museum are.
“Vision” reflects the primary priorities of the museum. It
describes or summaries the ideal situation that the
organisation wants to become. A vision could for example
be that a museum wants to be the most comprehensive
museum on national modern art, or the best facilitated
place to experience national archaeological treasures.
Situation analysis
Every museum’s success is depending on a set of internal
and external factors. In the strategic planning process it is
essential to know the limitations and possibilities both
inside the organisation and in the world around. These
factors can be sorted out in a “SWOT” analysis, analysing
the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
facing the museum and the environment.
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Internal factors
Strengths and weaknesses
External factors
Opportunities and threats
Internal factors
In the SWOT analysis all internal factors are analysed in
relation to whether they represent a strength or a
weakness to the organisation. Internal factors can be
such as the competence of the staff, the quality of the
collections, the financial situation, the museum site or
the condition of the museum buildings. A museum will
always have certain strengths and weaknesses. It is
important not to let the weaknesses overwhelm the
planning process. Some weaknesses can even be turned
into strengths. The looting of the Museum in Baghdad
in the 2003 conflict initially weakened even further a
museum that had already been in very serious difficulties
for more than a decade due to the national and
international economic and political situation. However,
the events of the spring of 2003 gave the museum a
unique international promotional position: the situation
can be turned into a strength, since the whole world
heard about the museum and its severe problems.
External factors
Using the SWOT analysis techniques, external factors
are analysed in relation to which Opportunities and
Threats they represent for the museum. External factors
are of course the visitors, but also possible cooperation
partners, and not to forget the competitors: other
museums, heritage sites, different leisure activities
including sports facilities, as well as – increasingly leisure-orientated retail shopping facilities. The political
situation, governmental regulations and also the macro
environment, like political upheavals, demographic
shifts and economic cycles are all external factors. All
these factors should be analysed and divided in groups
that represent opportunities for the museum on the one
hand and threats on the other. Examples of current
threats for museums serving international visitors in the
Middle East are political unstable situations and
regulations of the tourist market due to religious
regulations. If tour operators could overcome these
limitations and offer tours to the region, this would
represent great opportunities for these museums.
Objectives
The objectives are the specified targets set for the
museum during a certain period. They are one of the
most important and also one of the most practical parts
of the museum’s strategic plan. Concrete targets are easy
to understand, follow and measure. There are numerous
examples of museums that have failed in setting up their
key objectives. The result can likely be that the curators
are planning an exhibition in a hall scheduled for total
renovation while the marketing department is running a
different campaign.
While the mission describes the overall aims of the
organisation, the objectives describe how to accomplish
the mission. And while the vision describes the ideal
situation the organisation is stretching out for, the
objectives break it down to realistic and time limited
efforts. Objectives should be SMART – Specific,
Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-related
(Lancaster 2002, p. 239). The strategic plan must
contain realistic objectives for the whole organisation.
And when the plan is evaluated after a given period, the
attainment of each objective is measured. A museum
where the vision is to become the best place to
experience and understand national archaeological
treasures, could have the following key objectives in a
five-year period:
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Five
Year
Year
Year
Year
Year
year plan for launching new offerings
1 Market research and Planning Process
2 Create funds for the new development
3 Build a centre to encompass the new facilities
4 Develop the new facilities
5 Launch the new offerings
Market segmentation
No museum can be everything to everyone. Some
offerings will suit some people better than others. In the
strategic plan, the audiences should be broken down to
specified target groups. This is called market
segmentation and provides an understanding of whom
the offerings are made to suit. Market segmentation is
introduced here and will be discussed further below.
Promotional activities
If the strategic plan is followed up with a marketing plan,
the promotional activities might only be briefly
introduced in the strategic plan. The promotional
activities are discussed in detail below.
Evaluation
After a defined period, the strategic plan is evaluated.
The objectives must be analysed to see if they are
achieved or not. Maybe external or internal factors have
changed, and the course has to be adjusted. The strategic
plan should include a set of success criterions, and after
a certain period their fulfilment is analysed. To ease the
evaluation, the objects of the strategic plan have to be
measurable. “The visitors’ services will be improved”, is
rarely a good objective, since it is difficult to control if
the visitors’ services are sufficiently improved.
Quantitative data like visitors numbers and economical
status are easy to control. Qualitative data can be more
of a problem. A good idea is to break the objectives
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down to controllable tasks, such as: “The visitors’ service
will be improved by introducing a new information
system”. The audiences’ judgements must also be
researched. It is of little use to see visitors’ numbers rise
or fall if you do not know why. Opinions can be
measured by surveys where visitors are interviewed or are
asked to fill in a questionnaire. Surveys should also
include non-visitors to find out why they are reluctant to
visit the museum. (See also the Visitor Services chapter)
3. Target groups
Forgetting about the often very diverse population of the
city, region or country served (with its wide range of
ages, education and ethnicity) is a common problem in
planning the exhibitions and other public programmes
of museums. As has already been suggested, exhibition
topics often seem to be based on the fields where the
curators have their expertise and special interests, and
not on what is most attractive for the audiences. The
curators who claim they will make an exhibition for
“everyone” are probably only aiming it at themselves and
their closest colleagues.
All offerings have to be made with certain target
groups in mind. A text for well-educated adults will not
be readable for children. A European tourist will
probably not understand texts which are only in Arabic.
And while tour groups may only spend 20 minutes in a
museum, individual visitors may spend hours. It is
important to bear in mind that target groups are not
only the visitors who come through the museum door. It
is just as much the government or regional authorities
that fund the museum, potential sponsors, donors and
cooperating partners.
Market segmentation
Segmentation of markets can be done in several ways.
The museum should develop the segmentation that is
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best suited to distinguish between the different variables
of the potential audiences. Some common ways of
segmentation are described below (Kotler 1998:125).
Market segmentation
Geographical segmentation
Segmentation in accordance to the visitors
place of origin.
Demographic segmentation Segmentation in accordance to the visitors
age, sex, education etc.
Psychographic segmentation Segmentation in accordance to the visitors
social class, lifestyle, personality etc.
Organisational segmentation Segmentation in accordance to organisations
connection to the museum.
Geographical segmentation
Some museums mainly cater for local visitors, others
receive many international travellers. A museum
focussing on local visitors should put the emphasis in a
changing programme, to achieve repeat visitation. A
museum that attracts travellers can permanently exhibit
some must-see attractions, since most guests are firsttime and perhaps even once-in-a-lifetime visitors.
Demographic segmentation
People of different ages have different priorities at the
museum. By diversifying the audiences in variables like
age, sex, family constellation, occupation education and
social class, target groups can be sorted out on a
demographic basis.
Organisational segmentation
As mentioned above, the cooperating partners of the
museum are also target groups and should be segmented on
an organisational level. They can be segmented in types of
organisations, like governmental organisations, authorities,
research partners, sponsors, donors etc. But they can also
be sorted in accordance to their support of the museum.
Target audiences
Some target groups can be especially worth considering
for museums that want to develop their marketing
approach. Below I have suggested a range of such groups
together with ideas for approaching them.
Families
Many museums around the world are putting greater
emphasis on the family market. Parents are happy to
educate and entertain their children through a museum
visit, and they can all enjoy common experiences.
Museums are also well suited areas to meet other family
members and relatives for a day off. But it is a market of
strong competition. Families can meet in parks, where they
do not have to pay entry to the museum, or they can go to
more entertainment-oriented offers. To reach for the family
market, museums must be made to suit the family needs.
First of all, the museum has to be open on the national
or religious rest days, when families have leisure time, for
example Fridays in Muslim countries, Saturdays and
Sundays in most other countries of the world, as well as
during the local school holidays. It is also an idea to
arrange family programmes like storytelling or guided
tours for children on these days and during school
holidays. However, more extensive adaptations should be
made to suit family groups: looking at the exhibited
objects is only one of the reasons for families to visit the
museum. Just as much, they are there to meet others and
share experiences, so good informal meeting facilities are
needed to attract this market. A good café is also a very
frequent request, though family groups also look for areas
where they can just sit down, relax and have a chat. Special
rooms or spaces where children can engage in creative play
or make copies of the museum objects have been a great
success in many museums.
To reach the family market, advertisements of the special
family programmes would probably be the best channel.
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But I would believe that most museums cannot pay for
extensive newspaper advertisements. If the museum offers
guided tours to schoolchildren, the calendar of family
events can be distributed to the children, and maybe the
local newspaper will cover family events, encouraging
families to come for the next show. Another possibility is
to build a good relationship to important members of
certain families and mail out information to them.
The travel industry
The Arab countries and the Middle East have many
remains of very early stages of the western civilisation.
Such a broad choice of unique cultural treasures offers an
excellent opportunity to gain profit from tourism. Egypt
has taken the full advantage of this market for more than
a century, and the tourism industry is today a
considerable source of income. Other countries of the
region have for various reasons not put the same efforts
in this market. This will also influence the museums. If
the government gives tourism more attention, it is easier
for museums to gain more visitors from this segment.
With a stable political situation and acceptance from
religious forces to open up more areas to foreigners,
museums will probably have a great potential to attract
more tourists. The travel industry is a stable source of
income to many museums, and hopefully this can be the
future situation in more countries.
Tour groups have special requirements. Most tour
organisers want their groups to visit the most famous
treasures in the shortest possible time, other organisers
want to go in depth and the groups spend much time on
certain topics. The Norsk Folkemuseum in Norway
distinguishes the offers for tour groups in accordance to
the time available for the visit. If the group has 20
minutes available, the tourists can see the main
attraction, a 12th century wooden church. With 45
minutes, the tourists can join a more comprehensive
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guided tour, and with 90 minutes they can even enjoy
storytelling, folk dancing and a snack.
To be successful in the travel market, it is vital to
provide the tour operators with sufficient information
about the museum. Geoff Hann has many years of
experience with organising tours to the Middle East. I
asked him about museums in Iraq, and he said that the
problem is that nobody knows where they are. One good
idea might be that all museums in the same country
cooperate to produce a handbook for the travel industry.
This could contain a description of the museum, main
sights, opening hours and service facilities. Distributed
to tour operators that are eager to initiate tours to the
region, this would benefit all parties. But the museum
can start initiatives today if you wish to start by sending
information to travel guide publishers and to tour
operators that arrange tours to the region. This
information can contain general information about the
museum, press releases and personal letters to inform
about tourist related offerings.
Pilgrims
Pilgrims are a special kind of tour group and number
some tens of millions a year worldwide, but is a potential
market which tends to be neglected by museums. Also,
while most categories of tourists quickly vanish when
security and safety are threatened, the flow of pilgrims is
probably more stable. Even at the height of the armed
conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the 1990s, more than
a hundred thousand pilgrims a year continued to travel
right through the middle of the war zone to visit the
recently established shrine to the Virgin Mary at
Medjugorje, Herzegovina. Museums in locations
receiving significant numbers of pilgrims should treat
these as potential museum visitors, and special offers
could be made in cooperation with tour operators
making arrangements for pilgrims.
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Schools and colleges
School classes are frequently seen in museums all over
the world, and a museum visit is often regarded as part
of the education. For the museum, it is vital to have a
professional approach to the school system. Educational
programmes should be developed in accordance to the
school plans, and classes should be invited regularly. It is
no doubt that a person that has a positive childhood
experience from the museum is more likely to visit the
museum as an adult. Also, through the school children,
information about the museum’s events can be
distributed to their families. It is quite common for
children who visit a museum or a particular exhibition as
a school visit to return a few days later bringing their
family and friends. (See the Museum Education chapter)
Sponsors
Sponsors are private companies that offer the museum
funds or services and expect something of equivalent value
in return, in contrast with philanthropists who support the
museum as an act of good will. The museum’s obligations
to the sponsor can be anything from a connection to
national values to a reception in the exhibition hall.
In recent years, we have seen a flourishing private
industry establishing in markets that earlier has been
neglected due to various conflicts. An example is the
growing corporate industry of former Soviet republics. A
way for global companies to receive local recognition is
to offer sponsorships to local organisations.
According to the societal marketing orientation as
mentioned above, international companies that establish
in new markets will probably be interested in securing
social, environmental and even cultural values. A market
of potential cultural sponsorships will occur. Museums
should continuously analyse these opportunities and
follow up all establishments of companies that
traditionally have supported cultural activities.
The best way to approach a market of potential sponsors
is to make personal contacts. The museum should
thoroughly analyse the profile of potential sponsors, and
provide them with distinctive and attractive offers of
sponsorship and the benefits available in return, based on
their individual needs.
4. Promotion
Promotion is the distribution of information about the
museum’s offerings to the audiences. It is important to bear
in mind that this is a communication process that requires
action both by sender and receiver. While the museum is
sending a message through a chosen channel, the receiver
must actively accept to receive it and act upon it.
Model of communication process
(Lancaster 2002:69)
Source encoding
Message
Channel
Receiver decoding
Feedback
The traditional communications mix consists of
advertising, public relations, direct marketing and
different ways of sales. I would like to add the Internet
as a certain form of communication.
Advertising
Advertising is a paid published message in the commercial
media – newspapers, magazines, radio and television controlled by whoever pays for it. The advertisement has
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to create interest by a broad audience to justify the paid
amount. There are different types of advertising. Imagebuilding advertising promotes often only the name and
trademark of a company. Product advertising is promoting
an exhibition or another general offer at the museum.
Classified advertising attracts the audience to a certain
event. I would believe that most museums (unless they
have a good sponsor) are most acquainted to product and
classified advertisements. These advertisements encourage
the audiences to immediate action.
The Advertising Objectives
(Kotler 1998:222)
The Target:
The position:
Who must we reach?
What are the offering’s merits and its point of difference
from competitive offerings?
Response desired: What audience response is being sought?
Time horizon:
By what period should objectives be achieved?
To convince the recipient, the advertisement needs what
marketing experts call a “Unique Selling Proposition”
(Kotler 2003, p.310): an offer that is attractive enough to
draw the recipient’s attention. According to marketing
theory, only one message can be transferred effectively at
one time, so it must be so strong that the recipient
remembers the product or service advertised and prefers it
to other competitive offerings. Therefore, if an event is
advertised, it is better to promote one main happening,
rather than try listing all the museum’s activities.
According to the DAGMAR marketing model
(Defining Advertising Goals for Measured Advertising
Results) (Lancaster 2002, p.74) the recipient is passing
through the following steps before the aim of the
advertisement is accomplished:
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From unawareness to awareness
To comprehension
To conviction
To action
These steps also require different kinds of advertising. At
the first stage the audience is unaware of the museum.
Image-building advertising or other ways of promotion
is necessary to give the audiences knowledge about the
museum. At the level of comprehension the museum is
known, and product advertising is used to promote
certain advantages to stimulate the audience’s preferences
for the museum. At the level of conviction, the recipient
has a positive attitude towards the museum; he only
needs a reason for the visit, like a certain event, an
exhibition or a family programme. If all levels are
successfully fulfilled, the recipient might go to action,
the desired result of the advertisement.
Public relations
Modern public relations is a sophisticated process where
the aim is to build up knowledge and attitudes. It is
defined as the deliberate, planned and sustained effort to
establish and maintain mutual understanding between an
organisation and its public (Lancaster 2002, p.82). The
use of public relation in the communications mix requires
a free and independent press. If the press is dominated by
a certain view or meanings are controlled, the general
theories of public relation might not suggest suitable
methods.
The impact of professional public relations on the
corporate industry has increased through the recent years.
Today most companies have communications managers
on top management level that handle all press-related
issues. These managers have an image of being honest,
informative and available 24 hours a day. Their mission is
to develop a positive personality of the company, so that
even crisis can be handled in the most positive way.
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For museums, public relations is a channel of growing
importance. While advertising is ideal for promoting a
certain event, public relations is excellent for imagebuilding. A great advantage of public relations is the
high credibility. While most people are sceptical to what
is said in an advertisement, they believe in what is
written in the newspaper. And it is cost effective, as the
museum only pays distribution costs. While many
museums cannot afford to advertise, they can still receive
newspaper coverage. But the competition for coverage is
hard, and the editorial boards have become more
reluctant to what they accept as a good story.
Addressing the press
A public relation effort in its simplest way starts with
sending a message to the press. Unless it is really big news,
it will probably get no attention at all. Professional public
relations efforts are needed. The list below can give some
useful ideas to help the message come through.
Public relation efforts should be part of well-planned
campaigns. A newspaper article can call on people’s
attention or provide background information, but
opening hours and special offers are better filled in
through advertising, posters or direct marketing. Public
relations efforts should be selective. Big stories require big
campaigns. Small stories should not be paid the same
attention.
Press releases can be distributed broadly to inform the
press, but a good relation to certain journalists is better
built up by providing them with exclusive information.
Press releases should be short (maximum one page), well
formulated and the important issues mentioned first. All
releases must include a date and contact details for the PR
manager.
Be available. Be prepared to provide any information
at any time, and send out information regularly. Plan the
send-outs to suit the deadline of the most important
media. The beginning of the week is the best time to
suggest new stories.
Suggest different angles to different media.
Newspapers, TV and radio are different in form and
need distinctive presentations of the information. The
museum needs to have talkative experts ready for
interviews and provide well-formulated background
material. Remember that not all experts perform well on
TV and that lots of information can soon be too much
for a journalist with a tight deadline.
Do not give up easily, but realise when enough is
enough. A letter, fax or e-mail might not result in action.
If the story is good, always follow up by phone calls. If
you are turned down, try to suggest another angle. But
do not start arguing. That will cause trouble next time
you make contact.
Direct marketing
Direct marketing are the promotion efforts that are
directed towards a specified group or even specified
individuals. While advertisements and public relations hit
broad and uncontrolled, direct marketing is controlled
and directed toward specific targets.
Direct marketing typically involves sending letters out to
museum friends, other contacts, visitors and potential donors,
and generally depends heavily on a database for storing and
categorising information about target groups. To encourage
important and influential people to spread knowledge about
the museum is also a sort of direct marketing.
Mail-outs are probably the most common sort of direct
marketing. According to a survey among performing arts
presenters, direct mail was considered the most effectual
way of promotion (Kotler 1998, p.248). A museum can
customise this channel, so that different groups receive
different offers. School children are invited to the school
programmes, while repeat visitors receive the calendar of
events.
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Organised direct mail operations can be initiated with
the mail-out of invitations to new exhibitions. Build up
a comprehensive database of important persons in
companies, politics, the local government and the
authorities. Even if they do not come to the opening
show, they observe that the museum is active. Then
information about shows and events can be distributed
to selected categories. Finally certain individual bodies
can be invited to support the museum.
Personal contacts can be a vital promotional channel for
museums. In a country where the access to a free press
makes advertising and public relations difficult, it can be
of great importance to stay in contact with certain
“ambassadors” that encourage people to visit and support
the museum. Such important persons can be politicians,
top managers of companies, local authorities and family
leaders. Build up a good relationship by inviting them to
special events, offer special service at the museum and
keep them updated with mail-outs of information.
The database for direct marketing is not a simple list
of names and addresses. It should be categorised based
on certain criteria, like type of organisation, visitor
preferences, contributions to the museum, geography
and so on. The database is easily stored and made
accessible through a computer programme.
The Internet
The Internet, and particularly the World Wide Web and
e-mail, is a unique channel for communicating with the
audience. Enormous amounts of easy accessible
information can be distributed at a minimal cost. The
Internet is international and largely independent of local
and national regulations, particularly if a museum’s
website is on a foreign server. Even a very simple website
can be interactive, with the audience and the museum
having a two-way communication. A website is easy to
construct and publish: a high-school student and a
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global company use basically the same methods for
publishing. Internet services have developed very quickly
since they were opened up for free use by general users in
1993, and will probably play a much more
comprehensive role in the future.
To receive international recognition for a museum’s
website, it is a good idea to join the international top
level domain for museums, “dot museum” (.museum).
The domain is supported by ICOM, and on-line
registration is at http:www.musedoma.museum.
However, the Internet also has its limitations. While
advertisements and direct marketing reaches out to the
public, such as all readers of a newspaper or all watching
a television programme, the public has to actively look
for the information on a website. However, subject to
any legal restrictions such as privacy rights, e-mail can be
a very effective medium for circulating information to
interested people who agree to the inclusion of their email address on a museum mailing list.
It is said that the ideal selling situation is the seller on
a market who cries out his offerings to the huge crowd
visiting the market. Compared with the Internet, this
seller cries out his offerings in a virtual office. But the
office building is several hundred stories high, and each
floor has thousands of offices. The chance that someone
pops in at the office to hear the offerings is fairly limited.
To make sure that visitors find the way to the website,
over the past few years all kinds of search directories have
been offering to list a museum’s website as a paid service.
The problem is to distinguish the good services from
those who are only in it for the easy cash, and in fact the
latest developments in Web search engine technology
make such services less necessary.
All together it is becoming vital to be visible on the
Internet, even if this is nothing more than a simple page
with basic visitor information plus an e-mail address. For
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tourists, particularly those from abroad, a check on the
Internet is often the first step in holiday planning. If the
museum is visible on the Web, it is more likely to receive
attention. Though Internet provision is extremely
variable across the developing world, access and
affordability are increasing all the time. Even if it is not
possible to provide an Internet service immediately, it is
important to have a strategy for the museum’s website
development, and to get the museum on the Web as
soon as possible.
5. Building a Museum “Brand”
Quite simply explained, a brand is just the name of a
product. But the brand is also something more than a
label, a name or a special package. The brand creates a
worldwide recognition of a certain product. A brand
associates the product with certain values in addition to
the product itself. A Mercedes is not just a car, it has a
profile of luxury, and you anticipate you can drive it
through snowstorms or through the desert and arrive
safely on the other side. Most people associate a set of
common meanings with large global brands. These
meanings will also be connected to the people that use
the brands. If you drive a Mercedes, people assume you
are rich and well situated. Brand equity is the term used
for the brand meanings, and they can be of enormous
value for the manufacturer. They form an important part
of the profile of the manufacturer and their range of
products. But the manufacturer can never fully control
the values of the brand. The consumers will inevitably
create their own meanings. Coca-Cola is in a way
identified as an American icon, and whatever the USA
does is likely to have an influence on the image of the
company, whether they like it or not. Brand-building has
been an essential business strategy in the corporate world
for a long time. In the recent years it has also become an
important issue in the cultural sector and non-profit
organisations.
Controlling the brand equity
Building a strong brand for a museum can be seen as a
process of four steps. The process start with the least
desired position, where the audience hardly know about
the museum. On top is the most desired position, where
the museum has a huge group of loyal contributors, who
not only use the museum themselves, but recommend it
to others. The following description is based on David
Lane Keller’s model of Customer-Based Brand Equity
(2003. p.75). It is a tool for building strong brands based
on the customer’s point of view.
The museum brand building process
1 Identification The audiences identify the museum, the name and the type
of museum.
2 Meaning
Exhibition and visitors profiles and general attitudes will
form the audience’s meaning about the museum.
3 Response
Visitors will make judgements, and develop certain feelings
about the museum.
4 Relationship Some visitors recommend the museum to others, work as
volunteers and maybe let the museum become a part of
their lifestyle.
This process has to be followed step by step, and the
museum can only rise to a higher level when the steps
underneath are achieved. You can not expect the
audience to have an opinion about the museum without
knowing of its existence, and you can not expect the
audience to become loyal visitors without having
positive feelings about the museum.
Identification
First the audience must know about the museum, the
name and what kind of museum it is. Every day you can
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see the labels of internationally known brands in
different situations. In international sport events, certain
logos are posted all over the sport arena and even on the
players. This is to assure that people keep the name of
the company in mind at all times. I do not mean that
your museum should buy the sponsor rights of an
international sport event. But to strengthen the
identification of the museum, you should make sure that
the audience has the museum in mind as often as
possible, and in as many different situations as possible.
When they want to visit a museum, your museum is
the one they think of. When they want to study or meet
friends and relatives, your museum is a nice place to do
it. To achieve this situation, the identification of the
museum has to be carefully built up. If it is a new
museum, a name and a logo that identifies the museum
must be created. If it is an existing museum, the main
objectives can be promoted in a slogan. Many museums
have had their name and logo for a long time, like the
British Museum. To change it can be a risk. A well
identified brand is a great advantage in the brandbuilding process. Many large companies have failed in an
attempt to launch a new brand. If the museum already
has a well-known brand name, it might be better to put
new content to it than to change it. This can be achieved
by adding a good slogan. The Boston Museum of
Science added the slogan “It’s alive” to illustrate their
new profile (Kotler 1998, p.261)
Meaning
Secondly, the audience must know certain features
connected to the museum, such as exhibition and research
profiles, visitors services, pricing policies etc. At this level
the visitors will even make their own meanings about the
museum, based on experiences and user profiles.
The basis for these features will be the exhibition
profiles and the research topics. A museum of modern
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art can focus on experimental and maybe provocative
modern art and attract visitors that prefer such
challenges. Or it can focus on broadly accepted and wellknown artists, to attract huge audiences. Other features
include the level of service. A family-focussed museum
must have facilities for children. A research-focussed
museum needs facilities where researchers can study the
collections of the museum. The museum will also be
measured on its reliability and stability. The museum
must be open when it promises to be, and the objects
must be exhibited in an accessible and attractive way. All
members of the staff are ambassadors for the meanings,
and must reflect the desired level of service.
All these features are tools to create meanings of the
museum. But the visitors will also create their own
meanings, a general attitude of the museum. In general
marketing, these meanings are based on who the users of
a product are, in which situation the product is used and
the personality and history of the manufacturer. These
meanings are formed by the identification and features
mentioned above, but also of the general opinion and
personal experiences.
Such meanings are clearly seen in the modern car
industry. Volvo has had safety as their main profile and
their loyal customers appreciated it. But in peoples
minds, the safe, somewhat heavy and maybe slow car was
by no means regarded as exciting. Volvo is now changing
its attitude towards a more sporty orientation. The car is
still profiled as safe, but it is also loaded with horsepower
and a great sound system. Probably this is a way to
reform people’s opinions and to attract more excitementand leisure-oriented families.
The user profile is also essential for the brand-building
of museums. If the museum has a profile of high-level
research, school children might not dare to contact the
museum. And if the general opinion is that the museum
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only shows dull old exhibitions, it will probably not be
chosen for a Friday tour with the family. Museums that
are personalised with exciting offers and good service are
more likely to receive attention.
Response
If you manage to create a general meaning of the
museum, you can expect the audience to judge the
museum and create certain feelings about it. While the
brand meanings are more connected to the general
features and comprehension of a product or service, the
brand response is more related to the manufacturer’s
specific level of quality, uniqueness and the customers’
considerations and their personal feelings.
To reach the third level of the brand-building model,
the museum must express a trustworthy level of quality.
The exhibitions and publications of research results must
be scientifically correct, and all staff must be well skilled.
It is essential that the audience trust the statements of
the museum. The museum will then be treated with
respect and receive strong recognition. But it is not
enough to offer high quality. The museum must also
have an active approach towards the audience, so that
they consider using the museum. On the contrary, the
museum might end up in a passive situation, where it is
highly recognised, but sparsely visited.
To achieve the desired situation, the museum needs
some kind of superiority – something that is unique and
attractive. It can be some unique treasures, exhibitions
based on excellent research, or simply the best café in
town. The visitors will also develop certain feelings about
the museum. Feelings and experiences are highly used in
modern marketing. As the quality and design of products
are less differentiated, the feelings that arise by using a
certain brand have become essential. Cultural treasures can
create very strong feelings. Just imagine the tourist who
has travelled through insecure areas to experience the walls
of Babylon or the pilgrim who finally encounters the
mosques of Kerbala. If the museum manages to
implement strong feelings about some key objects, they
can serve as icons for the museum.
Relationship
The highest and most desired level of brand-building is to
have a group of loyal visitors that visit the museum
regularly, recommend the museum to others and support
the museum both economically and by voluntary work.
They might even let the museum become a part of their
lifestyle. In modern corporate marketing, more emphasis
is directed towards this group. It is considered as five times
more demanding to gain a new customer than to keep an
existing one. Many museums have already operated for
years in this segment with their friends associations. The
museum friends pay an annual amount to show their
loyalty and they might support the museum with extra
funding and voluntary work. If the museum has this kind
of loyal visitors, you should take good care of them and
encourage them. They are your most valuable visitors.
They know the brand and what it stands for.
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Museum Security and Disaster Preparedness
Pavel Jirasek
Department for Protection of the Heritage, Czech Ministry of Culture
“So little for this picture? Come on, it’s a museum piece!”
Photo: Jir̆í C̆erný
Security is everybody’s business
One of my long-time friends, a museum worker and
museologist par excellence, used to begin his lectures on
collection building with a memorable sentence:
“Without collections there would be no museums. But
remember: it’s not the same the other way around!”
Many people everywhere across the planet feel a need to
collect various objects. To satisfy it, they need not set up
a museum. On the other hand, museums are obliged to
build collections; with them it is more than just a sign of
interest in cultural objects of one type or another. Of
course, museum-based collection-building is not an end
in itself. If a museum collection is to be used effectively
and communicate the information it contains to visitors,
it must not only be continually developed, but, above all,
preserved for future generations. Of course, museumbased collection-building is not an end in itself, and this
does not mean that a museum collection should be kept
intact under all circumstances and that no object should
ever be permanently removed from it.
However, this should happen only as a result of a clear
collection-building strategy of the museum, not because
of external influences that may substantially damage or
even completely destroy the collections, regardless of the
museum’s strategic decisions. Such a disaster destroys the
museum itself. To prevent it, museums use special
security systems.
Note: the loss of some objects whose value in financial
terms is not too significant compared to the value of the
collection may nevertheless be an immense loss of
scientific or cultural value of the collection as a whole.
All museum staff (not only guards, but also curatorial
and technical staff and management) form part of its
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security system and the same applies to every operation
taking place in the institution and all resources used by
it. Nobody, not even any of the visitors, can be allowed
to opt out of the security procedures. A museum is
simply a special institution entrusted with the custody of
immensely important objects for the present time, and
which are at particular risk from theft, vandalism, fire,
water, chemicals etc. Everyone who is in any way
connected with it must respect this fact and cooperate
with the security procedures. The security system also
includes external relations of the museum with its
principal partners (e.g. fire brigade and police).
In addition to the collections, the museum must, of
course, also ensure the protection of its visitors and
employees, of its other property and its reputation.
A museum can be a high risk location, and the risks are
high in all these categories. The collections in particular
are threatened by vandalism, fire, water, chemicals etc.
Moreover, individual objects from the collections may
be traded with great profit, since the demand for articles of
this kind is constantly rising. Museums accumulate such
objects in great quantities and in a comparatively small
space. This, of course, substantially increases the risk of
theft. It is especially important to note that security
systems in every area of activity are at greatest risk from the
inside, i.e. by a lack of discipline, non-observance of basic
rules, indifference and, sadly, through staff assisting
criminals either directly or by providing information.
Museums cannot exclude this risk: indeed there have been
proven cases of theft, burglary and even armed robbery
where staff involvement has been proved or at least
strongly suspected. Consequently a few changes in the way
people behave may be more effective than sophisticated
and costly electronic systems.
If the basic rules of security are observed, the risks are
minimised. However, any system is subject to the well178
known rule that a chain is no stronger than its weakest
link. The collapse of the weakest part of a system may
cause the collapse of the whole. Unfortunately, the weakest
link is usually discovered only after something unpleasant
has happened. This chapter will focus on the prevention of
such incidents, it will tell you how to build an adequate
museum security system, how to tackle certain kinds of
risks and how to act in emergency situations.
Photo: Pavel Korda
Defining a security policy and building a security
system
The security of a museum can be ensured only through
a clearly defined security policy and its proper
application. However, the effectiveness of a security
system depends on the acceptance of a number of
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Some basic definitions of terms used in this chapter
1. Museum security is the immediate capacity of a museum to fulfil one of its
basic tasks, i.e. protect its employees, visitors, collections, other movable
and immovable property and reputation.
2. Risk analysis is a process in which the museum management identifies the
frequency and seriousness of dangers threatening the museum (its
employees, visitors, collections, other movable and immovable property and
reputation). The outcome of risk analysis is the assessment of each of the
risks – for the purposes of this chapter, on a five-grade scale:
a. negligible
b. low
c. medium
d. high
e. catastrophic
3. Acceptable risk is a risk whose frequency and extent cannot cause a major
loss to the organisation (e.g. damage of an object that forms part of a
collection, health damage etc.). The level of acceptability, i.e. the extent of
acceptable loss, is defined by the organisation itself on the basis of moral
criteria and the laws and regulations of the country.
4. Security policy defines, on the basis of risk analysis, the required level of the
museum’s security (the acceptable level of individual risks).
5. Security management of a museum includes all management instruments,
measures and procedures having impact on the level of the institution’s
security.
6. Strategic plan of museum protection includes all planned activities aimed at
fortifying the organisation against various kinds of risks (ensuring security of
the museum) on the required level and with clearly defined priorities.
7. Emergency plan contains a written summary of measures and procedures
used in accident and emergency management, i.e. a summary of planning,
methodological and information documents used for decision making,
management and co-ordination in such situations. The emergency plan
must exist in a written form; it should be drawn up by the director of the
organisation. In the case of a museum of a public authority the plan must
be in accordance with the emergency plans of the country, region or
municipality, which are usually drawn up by an authorised department of the
Ministry of the Interior or of the regional government, where such plans
exist. Other museums, such as those of foundations, societies or
universities, should aim to follow similar national or local standards and
procedures in consultation with the emergency services.
8. Museum security system includes all technical means and organisational
measures aimed at ensuring the required level of security.
9. Operational card of the prevention and protection plan is the documentary
material containing basic information on the museum premises, necessary
for the intervention of special forces neutralising the consequences of an
accident or emergency.
measures and on the approach of all museum staff to
their implementation.
The security of the collections and of the museum
itself is a variable depending on a number of external and
internal factors. As I mentioned in the previous section,
the risks characterise the seriousness of danger
threatening the museum. The implementation of a
security policy through the strategic plan of museum
protection should minimise the risks.
Who is responsible for security policy and its
enforcement?
1. The director of the museum should define its security policy, which must be
based on risk analysis.
2. A staff member designated as security manager should be authorised by
the museum director. The responsibilities should include analysing the risks
for all buildings and premises owned and managed by the museum, or
leased by it for exhibition or storage of cultural goods. The risk analysis
might also be carried out by an expert company with well-established
supplier reputation, perhaps a specialist consultancy in the field or possibly
the museum’s insurance company. A simple risk analysis may be carried out
with the help of the form provided in Annex 2 of these guidelines at the end
of this chapter.
3. All staff, and particularly all managers and supervisors in every department,
must be responsible for implementing and enforcing the security policy.
Risk Analysis and the Security Plan
The director of the organisation or the security manager
determines the acceptable risk for all identified dangers
and all buildings and premises (the five point scale given
under (2) in Box 1 may be of use here). In practice this
means that for some buildings (e.g. a store housing
building material which is a safe distance from the main
museum) a medium risk of fire may be acceptable, while
for others even a low fire risk must be excluded
(particularly exhibition rooms and collections storage
areas). The comparison of this planned risk level with the
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actual results of risk analysis then determines the
priorities in the elimination of individual risks and
provides a basis for the strategic plan of museum
protection.
In implementing the strategic plan for the museum,
the director or security manager adjusts or develops the
security system of the museum as appropriate.
Thus the basic principles for building an effective
museum security system depend on a continuous risk
analysis, its evaluation and the incorporation of its
conclusions in the form of concrete measures into the
everyday operation of the museum. As already pointed
out, it almost goes without saying that this should be
part of the duties not only of the security personnel, but
of all museum staff.
Though it will normally be the security personnel who
take appropriate steps to tackle the actual or expected
security problem in accordance with the management’s
orders, everyone must know what to do and who to
inform in the case of an actual or suspected security or
safety emergency. This means that training in security
procedures and response to actual or threatened security
failures or other emergencies must be part of the
museum’s programme of training and continuing
professional development of every staff member,
regardless of their status or job.
Today, risk analysis is a separate discipline, focused on
by specialised companies or expert teams of government
institutions. Sophisticated modern analysis systems
include as its integral part the modelling of system
behaviour for purposes of emergency management,
which enables us to monitor the behaviour of individual
subsystems as well as of the security system as a whole.
Also, one must take into account not only emergencies
which will occur with a high level of probability, but also
those with a minimum probability level, but potentially
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catastrophic consequences. Everything is thus based on
the identified level of risk. It is very significant that the
insurance industry is now one of the major funders and
sponsors of longer-term environmental risk research and
publication, such as that of the Benfield Natural Hazards
Risk Assessment Centre in London University.
The catastrophic impact of, for example, a tornado or
earthquake occurring in the given area perhaps once in
every ten or fifty years must not, of course, be neglected
in developing the museum security arrangements.
However, there are dangers whose destructive effect on
objects in museum collections is not immediate, but
which are still very significant. Such influences include
e.g. aggressive atmospheric pollution or light, whose
long-time negative effect may be comparable with that
of a dramatic natural event lasting just a few-minutes
(see the Conservation chapter).
For each of the dangers the level of acceptable risk
must be determined, i.e. the museum must decide how
serious a risk of the occurrence of a particular situation
it is willing to accept. Of course, some dangers occur
quite independently of the museum’s will and behaviour.
However, it is possible to adopt preventive measures for
each of the situations and thus to limit substantially their
potential consequences. By preventive measures I mean
the building of the museum security arrangements, or,
more precisely, the individual sub-systems of the security
system, whereby the strategic plan of museum protection
may be implemented.
Implementing the strategic plan for museum
protection
On the basis of risk analysis the museum management may
start building the security systems and procedures –
provided that it knows what should be protected against
what, what can or, on the other hand, cannot wait and what
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The most significant potential dangers that need to be assessed. Risk analysis must take into account all dangers
that may significantly damage the collections or the museum itself
1. Risk from natural disasters
— floods - both from rivers and the sea (coastal erosion, tsuamis and storm
surges)
— drought or a limited supply of water
— strong wind storms and tempests
— lightening and excess voltage caused by atmospheric forces
— extensive forest fires
— extensive infestation by pests and vermin (insects, rodents, fungi...)
— earthquakes
— volcanic eruptions
2. Technical breakdowns
— damage to the structure of the museum building
— fire in the building
— loss of key utility services: electricity, gas, phone and security
connections
— water supply failure
— breakdown of heating or cooling systems
— failure of fuel supply
— breakdown of air conditioning systems
— breakdown of monitoring systems
— stoppage of waste disposal
— stoppage of transport services needed for essential supplies and for key
staff to get to work
— chemical contamination
— leakage of fuel or chemicals
3. Accidents
— any damage of the collections
— loss of critical data such as collections documentation, whether manual
or computer-based
— damage to the building, interior furnishings and equipment
— injury to or death of a staff member or a visitor
— cumulative effect of any of the above
4. Illegal activities
— unauthorised entry of persons
— burglary
— theft including thefts committed by staff members
— robbery or other unauthorised presence of an armed person
— arson
— attack on the building during civil riots
— explosion or a threat of explosion
— assault, including sexually motivated crimes
— breach of the peace or other objectionable behaviour
— wilful damage of museum property, including vandalism and graffiti
— alcohol or drug abuse on the museum premises
— extortion of money by blackmail
— terrorist attack
5. Armed conflict risks
— bombing and shelling damage
— destruction of electrical and electronic systems, including security and
building control systems and computers and computer data by electronic
warfare attacks
— military occupation or other illegal misuse, whether by the attacking or
defending forces
— requisition of the building, equipment and vital supplies by the
government or an occupying force for war purposes or as part of aid to
the civilian population
— looting, whether by military forces, irregulars or the civilian population
— loss of key museum personnel due to call up or volunteering for military
service, or to death or injury
— inability of staff to get to work because of the security situation or
restrictions on movement imposed by the military
— attack by irregular forces or insurgents
— greatly increased risk of general crime, including theft, burglary and
robbery due to general disorder
This list is not exhaustive, but it illustrates the diversity of potential dangers.
level of protection is needed in individual cases. In short:
Implementation of the plan = satisfactory security
management of the museum.
Establishing or updating satisfactory museum security
management is likely to include the adoption and
implementation of concrete improvement measures and
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solutions, more specifically the following:
– organisational changes in the museum;
– installation of new technical equipment;
– implementation of appropriate procedures and precise
definition of tasks for each museum department and
possibly also for each employee of a department.
However, it is always necessary to make sure that
individual measures are mutually consistent – that one
does not impede or cancel the effect of another.
There are many general solutions for museums, many of
which do not differ significantly from one another.
However, one must always take into account the specific
features of individual museums, e.g. the location of the
buildings, interior layout, the nature of the collections etc.
To ensure effective protection of people and property, one
must proceed from simple (and not too costly) measures
to more complex ones, gradually approaching the optimal
security conditions defined by the security policy (what is
to be protected against what and how much).
What follows is an example of how the museum
security system may be built like a chain of subsystems
with mutual logical and functional links, beginning with
the simpler ones and ending with the most complex:
1. Mechanical barriers
These include in particular solid walls of the building,
doors, locks, fire door, bars, fences, alarm glass,
showcases, safes, safe rooms etc. All this makes up the
basic level of protection of the collections against
destruction; all other systems are only complementary.
Solid doors, adequate locks and their proper use are
the most important elements of museum security.
2. System of organisation of guards (also known by
various other names, including warders, attendants and
museum assistants in different countries and museums)
The management should set down rules of conduct for
these. The number of guards or attendants depends on the
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Photo: Dana Einhornová
number, size and character of the buildings and exhibition
rooms, the number of visitors and on the value of the
collections. Security closed circuit television systems and
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electronic alarms are a suitable complement to a guard or
an attendant, but cannot replace their services.
3. Organisational measures concerning the
behaviour of the staff and visitors
These measures must be continually updated, as
exhibitions change, visitors are offered various services
etc. In many countries there is the power to make special
laws or regulations under the criminal code concerning
the behaviour of visitors within public museums, and
perhaps non-governmental museums also.
4. Measures to ensure security in display and
exhibition rooms
These are measures reducing the risk of accidents and
injuries of both staff and exhibition visitors (arrangement
of objects, types of showcases etc.).
5. Intruder Detection System (IDS)
This is a higher protection level, which is, however,
effective only in combination with mechanical barriers
and other subsystems of protection, typically for out-ofhours protection or for protecting areas not open to the
public. This will be discussed later along with automatic
fire detection and alarms in a separate section.
6. Access Control System (ACS)
This exists in one form or another in every museum, and
is important for internal control of staff behaviour. In its
simplest form it is the giving out of keys against signature
or other written record. Contemporary sophisticated
systems are usually based on electronic readers. After
reading the information provided by the entering person
(magnetic, IR or other cards or an electronic device on the
key chain), the equipment sends the signal to a central
computer, which checks the right of entry. If the system is
electronic-based including monitoring from a central
control room, it substantially reduces the risk of theft by
the museum’s own employees. It either works
independently of other systems, or is interconnected with
Installation of motion detectors in historical interiors
Photo: Pavel Korda
intruder detection system and automatic fire alarm. The
access control system may also be complemented by a
metal detector at the museum entrance.
7. Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)
As a suitable complement to the intruder detection and fire
alarm subsystems, this protects the collections as well as
visitors and staff. It is used in particular for alarm
confirmation and in furnishing evidence of illegal activities.
At present institutions are gradually moving away from
large monitoring desks with a number of monitors to a new
type of system, which switches the monitor on only in case
of an alarm incident. Such incident is then reported to the
control room staff (which also receives the image of the
“alarm monitor”) and digitally recorded in a quality mode
on a data storage medium. The existence of the central
control room is the necessary precondition for full
exploitation of CCTV possibilities. The cameras should be
located at least in those parts of the interior where all
visitors have to pass. The CCTV subsystem is needed to
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eliminate false alarms of peripheral subsystems of the
intruder detection system. It is also important because of its
preventive, psychological effect.
Outside camera in a special case, ambient temperature –20˚C
Photo: author
8. Internal communication and reporting of emergencies
This subsystem protects in particular attendants in
exhibition rooms. It is based on the use of emergency call
equipment – mobile, with radio data transmission, or
stationary. Another option is the use of walkie-talkies.
Contemporary subsystems can distinguish between nonstandard situations, not immediately threatening the life or
health of the attendant on one hand, and immediate assault
on the other. They also enable a comparatively precise
localisation of the place from which the signal has been sent.
9. Measurement and regulation of critical physical
quantities (temperature, humidity, intensity of
light and UV radiation)
This subsystem is used in museums mainly to monitor
the environment in which collections are kept. It is also
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an outstanding tool for studying the long-term effect of
physical influences.
10. Measurement of technical quantities (water,
gas, dust fall)
This subsystem helps identify an oncoming incident
with potential catastrophic consequences.
11. Internal and external lighting
This is important for prevention and useful when
monitoring buildings located in remote places.
12. Protection against excess voltage caused by
atmospheric forces
It is important for all light-current electronic systems. It
ensures protection of systems and computers against
surge on the mains input and the protection of
individual system elements etc. The protection against
damage has a substantial economic effect. A quality
protection against excess voltage consists of three
elements – avalanche diodes, varistor and surge arrester.
Experience from recent years confirms the major
importance of this subsystem. Many cases have been
reported in which costly protective subsystems (worth
many thousands of dollars) have been completely
destroyed during a thunderstorm, while the installation
of protection against excess voltage would have cost
merely 5-10% of the price of the destroyed equipment.
13. Internal monitoring centre (Control Room)
The importance of this is self-evident: in a number of
cases it is the basic precondition for the proper operation
of other subsystems. However, to be able to play this role
it requires 24-hour staffing and its own operational rules,
it must not be accessible to people who do not work in
it and must have adequate security protection.
14. Transmission of alarm data from the monitoring
centre to the relevant intervention forces
The transmission of information on the occurrence of an
emergency forms the basis of the security system. The
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(mostly data) transmission of information to intervention
forces (police, fire brigade...) should take place
independently of the staff in the internal monitoring
centre (control room); in case there is no such centre in the
museum, the information should be transmitted directly
from the detection system centre. It is advisable to use
several independent types of transmission. If the only
transmission channel used is e.g. a phone line, there is a
risk as it is not very difficult to put it out of order. The
more advanced contemporary equipment uses parallel
transmission via a phone line and wireless transmission on
several secret frequencies.
15. Textual and visual documentation of cultural
objects, their registration and entry in the
inventory
The textual and visual documentation of collections is
important not only because it enhances their capacity to
provide us with meaningful information on nature and
society; it becomes virtually priceless in case of a police
inquiry seeking to recover a stolen object, as well as in case
of restoration, the making of replicas etc. It is advisable to
use e.g. the OBJECT ID international standard for
information exchange.
If the object in question has been stolen, it is also
important to state whether the value of the object justifies
the launch of a nationwide or international inquiry, and
subsequently check whether such inquiry has indeed been
launched. Otherwise the police effort might be limited by
the boundaries of the relevant city or region. The textual
and especially visual documentation is a key factor in any
inquiry. At present, museums are beginning to use various
sophisticated designation techniques, such as micro-dots,
DNA registration etc. for purposes of future identification.
16. Emergency plan including evacuation plan for
both people (staff and visitors) and collections
A well-thought-out emergency plan is a must for any
museum security system. (This is discussed elsewhere in
this chapter.)
17. Co-operation with intervention forces
(otherwise known as emergency services)
The persons taking part in rescue operations in case of
an emergency can have different interests, The priority
of the museum is to save the collections and critical data
while the firemen want first of all to localise the fire, the
priority of the police in case of a crime is to find and
arrest the perpetrator etc.). It is advisable to discuss the
plan and the rules to be followed in case of an
intervention in advance, to make sure that the individual
actors do not hinder one another’s efforts.
18. Co-operation with relevant national and
international organisations and agencies
Today there are already many international agencies
monitoring the trade in cultural objects and co-operation
with them brings positive results. Still, when an important
object is missing from a collection it is always necessary to
contact the local or national police first, according to local
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arrangements and the agreed procedures. To help with the
success of the inquiry, the police should get not only
textual documentation, but also a photograph of the
object in question. It is also advisable to check whether the
police ensured the launch of an international inquiry,
either through the national office of Interpol and through
the Secretariat General of ICOM.
19. Priorities for conservation and restoration
In a discussion about other security subsystems,
conservation priorities may seem an issue that has little
to do with the rest of the problems debated. Still,
conservation, preparation and restoration are crucial for
the protection of any collection. They are, however,
costly activities for which no museum ever has as much
money as would be ideal. This is why every museum
should have a plan of priorities.
An Intruder detection system (IDS)
This, together with mechanical barriers and the system
of guards and museum attendants, guarantees a higher
qualitative degree of protection. In designing the
intruder detection system, one must always keep in
mind that the time needed by the criminal to reach by
the shortest possible way the object of his interest must
be longer than or at least equal to the time needed (from
the moment of detection) for signal transmission, alarm
confirmation and subsequent intervention.
In practice this means that after detection of the
intruder’s entry on the guarded premises, the intruder
must be confronted with one or more mechanical
barriers, which it will take him long enough to
overcome. This simple rule is the cornerstone of any IDS
system. If it is not observed, even the most expensive
electronic system is reduced to the role of a scarecrow.
However, this is frequently not the case. Since
collections are often kept in historical buildings, these
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usually have an outside fence or railing (if anything at all).
Combined with an internal electronic security system
protecting the interior and shell of the building, i.e. with
space detectors, glass break detectors or window and door
opening detectors, the outer railing – and therefore also
the intruder detection system – does not make any sense.
The critical time begins to run only after the criminals get
over the railing, which is not a serious problem, taking
into account their present-day sophisticated technical
equipment. What would make sense would be interior
bars, which the criminals would have to break through
after their intrusion has been detected.
If the installation of bars is not possible, there are other
possibilities, e.g. outside detectors (underground pressure
detectors, outside infrared barriers that close the building
from the outside). This, of course, is a costlier option,
which requires links with outside cameras to eliminate
alarms caused by other factors than criminal intrusion.
Another complication is the fact that this modern and
effective technique requires outside fences or railings,
which make the immediate surroundings of the building
inaccessible when the premises are protected. With many
buildings, especially in built-up urban areas, such a
solution is therefore out of the question.
It always pays to have the intruder detection system
designed and installed by a company with a high level of
expertise and to choose a tried and tested top-quality
technology. This will not only ensure effective operation of
the equipment, but also exclude two otherwise common
problems – false alarms and nuisance alarms (caused by
mistakes of the attendant staff ).
The protection of the premises against burglars is
complemented by the protection of the objects
themselves. Here, too, the usual solution involves a
combination of a mechanical barrier (glass showcase,
alarm glass or alarm foil showcase) and an intruder
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the construction of the showcases, the type of lighting
used and the nature of the exhibits. A rather difficult
problem is the protection of objects in public libraries.
The most effective solution is the designation of books
with microchips, which activate the alarm on passing
through the monitored zone.
IDS components should be selected with utmost care.
Each of the components has specifically defined
conditions of use. Especially when selecting sensors for
use in non-heated or even open space, one should always
check the temperature range for which the equipment is
designed, as well as other characteristics. It is advisable to
use sensors based on different principles of detection.
Photo: Czech Police
detection system. The present-day producers of showcases
usually equip them with glass break or opening detectors
or enable an easy installation of such equipment. What is
important is the choice of detection sensors with regard to
Automatic fire detection and alarm system (FAS)
These usually form the top of the imaginary pyramid of
protective devices. It is because in case of fire the property
losses are final, nothing can be recovered, but also because
any fire poses a major threat to human health or even lives.
It is good to have the automatic fire detection system
installed together with the intruder detection system
because the cable routes may run along the same
directions, saving money. Ideally the FAS can be combined
with an automatic extinguisher system. However, this may
pose a problem in historical buildings, since the
extinguisher system interferes with the appearance of the
interior much more radically than the detection system. In
a compromise solution the components of the extinguisher
system might be installed only in a few selected critical
places of the building.
Which extinguishing substance to use is also a key
decision; traditional media such as water seem to work the
best. One can also recommend the water-mist fire
extinguisher with an extensive range of cover, low water
consumption and a comparatively low damage of interiors
and collections during use.
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(museums, libraries, monuments): they may have software
links with other subsystems, but must always operate
independently.
Consideration of the nature of the material is especially
important in libraries. In museum exhibition rooms one
should pay attention to the combination of the sensor
with the lighting of the exhibits. If the light is not duly
screened off and the warmth it produces approaches in its
intensity the heat range of fire, it may give rise to false fire
alarms. A direct link to a fire guard control desk enhances
the effectiveness of the automatic fire detection system.
Each of the independently operating subsystems reduces
the potential negative impact of security risks, but the
most effective is the combination of several subsystems.
The Emergency Plan
One final element of a successful and effective security
system in the Emergency Plan, which brings together all
the key elements and the supporting information that
might be needed should a serious emergency occur, despite
all the risk assessment, planning and staff training.
Testing a unique water cannon (water-mist fire extinguisher)
Photo: author
The same rules as for IDS also apply to the installation
of FAS, i.e. the better the technology and the greater the
expertise of the company, the fewer false alarms you can
expect. FAS are installed in all types of institutions
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Final recommendations and further help
I tried to fill this comparatively limited space with as much
information as possible, offering at least a sound
introduction to the vital importance, and at the same time
complexity, of the task of ensuring the security of a
museum or a collection. The Appendices that follow offer
a model Emergency Plan, which can be adapted to the
particular circumstances of almost every museum, and
which may help you in achieving this difficult but vital
task.
Finally, let me once more repeat the words that are
crucial for any effective museum security system: “Security
is everybody’s business.” If this message is true for your
museum, you are halfway there. If you are interested, the
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International Committee on Museum Security of ICOM
can help you with your security problems and provide you
with the necessary professional contacts in the field.
Appendix 1: A Model Emergency Plan
Part A
This part of the emergency plan should serve not only
the museum, but should also be made available on
request to the contractual or public service intervention
forces that would be called in to deal with an emergency
in the museum (police, fire brigade etc.)
Core
(1) The core part of the museum emergency plan drawn
up by the director or security manager should include:
a) name of the organisation;
b) name of its statutory representative or the person
responsible for emergency management (e.g.
security manager);
c) address of the organisation, phone and fax, e-mail,
contact to a 24-hour security service (if the museum
has one);
d) definition of the museum’s responsibility and powers
in emergency management, based on legal
regulations (e.g. the right to supervise the whole
process of evacuation of the collections etc.).
(2) In part A of the emergency plan of the museum the
author must also include the following:
a) a list of buildings in which the objects of the
museum collections are located, including phone
and fax numbers, e-mail or also a mobile phone
contact of the person responsible for the
management of the building;
b) the manner of protection of the buildings and
objects against dangers ensuing from emergency
situations;
c) name of every member of the emergency team,
phone number and e-mail address (if available) at
which they may be reached (the phone calls and emails may be directed to the 24-hour security
monitoring service of the organisation, which will
then ensure further contact);
d) a list of persons responsible for the protection of
individual buildings and collections, phone
number and e-mail address (if available) at which
they may be reached (as above);
e) description of the operation of individual museum
buildings.
(3) The author of the emergency plan must update the
information contained in paragraph 4 and pass it on to
the contractual or official intervention forces.
Annexes
(4) Annex 1 of the emergency plan, the only annex of its
part A, contains the operational card of the museum. The
operational card of the emergency plan must include:
a) name and address of the museum;
b) number of permanent staff;
c) name of the contact person responsible for security
of the museum premises (including phone
number), a list of persons responsible for the
protection of individual buildings, collections or
sub-collections deposited on the premises,
including phone numbers (both mobile and home)
and e-mail addresses, if available (the phone calls
and e-mails may be directed to the 24-hour
attendant service of the organisation, which will
then ensure further contact);
d) information on critical spots (location of pressure
gas bottles, stored chemicals etc.);
e) location of main gas, water and electricity shutoffs
with relevant instructions;
f ) location of the main control panel of the intruder
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detection system, fire alarm, and possibly other
elements of the museum security system;
g) nature of the deposited material with regard to its
handling (volume, transportation requirements),
priorities for evacuation etc.
h) description of suitable access to the premises,
including information on the quality and bearing
capacity of the communication routes and
individual floors of the buildings;
i) lay-out of the premises with designated escape
routes (on the reverse side).
Part B
This part of the emergency plan is designed only for
internal purposes.
(1) The director of the museum or an authorised staff
member appoints an emergency management team. The
list of team members including contacts makes up an
integral part of the emergency plan.
(2) The director of the museum or an authorised staff
member also draws up a simple and clear list of
instructions for the museum staff in case they are
confronted with any of the following situations
(instructions are given separately for each of the
incidents):
1. Risk from natural disasters
• Floods - both from rivers and the sea (coastal
erosion, tsuamis and storm surges)
• drought or a limited supply of water
• strong wind storms and tempests
• lightening and excess voltage caused by
atmospheric forces
• extensive forest fires
• extensive infestation by pests and vermin (insects,
rodents, fungi...)
• earthquakes
• volcanic eruptions
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2. Technical breakdowns
• damage to the structure of the museum building
• fire in the building
• loss of key utility services: electricity, gas, phone
and security connections
water supply failure
• breakdown of heating or cooling systems
failure of fuel supply
• breakdown of air conditioning systems
breakdown of monitoring systems
• stoppage of waste disposal
• stoppage of transport services needed for essential
supplies and for key staff to get to work
• chemical contamination
• leakage of fuel or chemicals
3. Accidents
• any damage of the collections
• loss of critical data such as collections
documentation, whether manual or computerbased
• damage to the building, interior furnishings and
equipment
• injury to or death of a staff member or a visitor
• cumulative effect of any of the above
4. Illegal activities
• unauthorised entry of persons
• burglary
• theft including thefts committed by staff members
• robbery or other unauthorised presence of an
armed person
• arson
• attack on the building during civil riots
• explosion or a threat of explosion
• assault, including sexually motivated crimes
• breach of the peace or other objectionable
behaviour
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• wilful damage of museum property, including
vandalism and graffiti
• alcohol or drug abuse on the museum premises
• extortion of money by blackmail
• terrorist attack
5. Armed conflict risks
• bombing and shelling damage
• destruction of electrical and electronic systems,
including security and building control systems
and computers and computer data by electronic
warfare attacks
• military occupation or other illegal misuse,
whether by the attacking or defending forces
• requisition of the building, equipment and vital
supplies by the government or an occupying force
for war purposes or as part of aid to the civilian
population
• looting, whether by military forces, irregulars or
the civilian population
• loss of key museum personnel due to call up or
volunteering for military service, or to death or
injury
• inability of staff to get to work because of the
security situation or restrictions on movement
imposed by the military
• attack by irregular forces or insurgents
• greatly increased risk of general crime, including
theft, burglary and robbery due to general disorder.
In case of each of these potential incidents, the
instructions should ensure an adequate flow of
information, i.e. they should state to whom and how the
information about the incident should be immediately
reported. They should also describe how to proceed in
neutralising the consequences of the incident and define
tasks for individual staff members (and possibly also for
external intervention forces).
The list of emergency situations may, of course, be
extended on the basis of risk analysis (Article 3), with
regard to the location of the museum premises, taking
into account all incidents likely to occur.
The instructions should be distributed to every staff
member, ideally in the form of a small booklet.
Model instructions are contained in Annex 3 of the
material (Drawn up on the basis of the booklet “Staff
Emergency Procedures”, The Getty Center, May 2000).
The list of instructions forms an integral part of the
emergency plan.
(3) The director of the museum or an authorised staff
member must also draw up a written summary of
information on contractual partners for the purposes of
emergency management. The material will include
contacts on basic co-operating units (police, fire brigade,
special army forces) and a list of contractual partners
(particularly restorers, conservators, transport providers
and other specialists). The afore-mentioned information
material makes up an integral part of the emergency plan.
(4) The director of the museum or an authorised staff
member also draws up a written time schedule of
emergency management, containing information on the
accessibility of the units of the Integrated Rescue System,
accessibility of contractual partners, deadlines for the
implementation of concrete measures in cases of expected
emergencies (e.g. floods) etc. The time schedule makes up
an integral part of the emergency plan.
(5) The director of the museum or an authorised staff
member must also draw up an evacuation plan for people,
collections and other property of the institution. The
evacuation must contain information on:
• how the evacuation will be announced;
• evacuation places and emergency survival facilities
for visitors and staff;
• evacuation places and emergency storage facilities for
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collections and other property of the institution;
evacuation priorities;
how the evacuation will be organised;
technical support of the evacuation;
requirements for the handling of objects from the
collections;
• how the evacuated objects and possibly also other
property of the institution will be designated and
identified;
• designated staff members bearing full personal
responsibility for the evacuation;
• evacuation routes (plan).
The evacuation plan makes up an integral part of the
emergency plan.
(6) The director of the institution designates an easily
accessible and clearly designated storeroom of evacuation
equipment. The storeroom must contain:
• first-aid sanitary material;
• detergents and disinfectants;
• vessels with distilled water;
• personal protection equipment (gloves, protective
clothing, overalls, masks, respirators, protective helmets
and glasses, working shoes and wellingtons etc.);
• packaging material and manipulation equipment
corresponding to the nature of the evacuated
collections and other property (wrapping paper,
lockable evacuation boxes and transport crates,
waterproof packaging materials etc.)
• basic stationery;
• emergency salvage and rescue technology,
equipment, tools and other aids etc.
All the above must be available in sufficient quantities,
corresponding to the character of the museum premises.
An exact description of the location of evacuation material
storerooms forms an integral part of the emergency plan.
(7) The director of the museum or an authorised staff
•
•
•
•
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member draws up an emergency report form by means
of which emergencies will be reported to the
management of the institution. A model report form is
provided in Annex 4 of the Handbook.
The emergency report form makes up an integral part
of the emergency plan. It must be available to every staff
member of the institution.
(8) The director of the museum or an authorised staff
member draws up an annual plan of checks on preventive
measures. In addition to obligatory inspection and checks
on technical equipment, he should review at least once a
year the readiness of each independent unit (or even of the
whole organisation) to face emergencies by simulating a
selected emergency (training exercise). At the end of each
year an authorised staff member submits the results of the
checks and training exercises to the museum management
for discussion. The annual plan of checks on preventive
measures and the results of the checks and training
exercises are regularly annexed to the emergency plan.
Fire drill
Photo: Pavel Korda
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(9) The director of the museum or an authorised staff
member informs every staff member about the contents
of the emergency plan and his or her personal tasks and
responsibilities in an emergency situation. The staff
member confirms the fact by his or her signature on a
protocol. The protocol is kept by the organisation until
his or her employment ends or is terminated.
(10) In case of need, the emergency plan must be
updated to correspond to the actual state of the
organisation. Information on the modifications is passed
on to those staff members whose role in emergency
management has changed.
(11) The emergency plan is issued, supported by an order
of the museum director confirming its implementation.
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Annex 2 to the Methodological Instructions:
Simple risk analysis form
TYPE OF EMERGENCY
FREQUENCY
OF
OCCURENCE
PROBABILITY
LEVEL
(1 to 5 /P/)
SERIOUSNESS
DEGREE OF
OF
SERIOUSNESS
CONSEQUENCES (1 to 5 /C/)
RISK
R=PxC
DEGREE OF
RISK
(/1 - 5/)
Disasters within relevant distance from the building
Floods
Windstorms and tempests
Extensive fires
Heavy air pollution
Earthquakes
Infestation by insects, rodents etc.
Excess voltage caused by atmospheric forces
Illegal acts
Common theft by visitors or staff
Burglary
Vandalism
Improper behaviour by visitors, including physical violence
Arson
Unregistered entry
Presence of armed persons
Accidents and failures
Injury of a staff member or a visitor
Accident resulting in a leakage of chemicals
Air conditioning failure
Power etc. failures: electricity, gas, heating oil, district heating system
Water supply stoppage
Security alarm systems failures
Security communication systems failure
Other emergencies inside the building
Fire
Flooding from the water piping or heating system
Excess temperature
Excess humidity
Excess light intensity
number of pieces
Number of objects in the collections that are in serious danger of
being stolen (number of pieces and percentage), i.e. T1 =< T2 + T3
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%
RANKING
against
priorities
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Annex 3
Fire
If a fire occurs in your area:
1. Remove visitors (and employees) from immediate danger
2. If possible, confine the fire by closing doors
3. Notify Security Control Room/Fire Brigade at ....... [Insert telephone
number] and/or nearest automatic alarm pull station. By using walkietalkie or phone give the following information:
a. location of the fire
b. the severity of the fire
c. your name
Do not hang up until the Security Control Room/Fire Brigade does so first.
4. Attempt to put out a small fire with a fire extinguisher if it is safe to do so.
5. Evacuate your area if you are unable to put out the fire. Go to an
Evacuation Assembly Area
Additional information:
6. Disconnect electrical equipment that is on fire if it is safe to do so. Pull
the plug or isolate at the circuit breaker or fuse box.
7. Never allow the fire to come between you and the exit.
8. Assume that smoke and/or fumes are hazardous.
9. Do not break the windows unless absolutely necessary or escape, since
oxygen feeds a fire. Before opening any door touch it near the top. If the
door feels hot or if smoke is visible, never open the door.
10. Do not use elevators (lifts).
11. Take any important small personal possessions (e.g. keys, purse) if you
evacuate, but do not attempt to save possessions at the risk of personal
injury. Leave behind anything big or heavy that will slow or obstruct your
escape. If you are the last to leave close the doors behind you but do
not lock them.
12. If the area is smoky, stay low to the ground underneath the smoke and
heat. Crawl if necessary.
13. If your clothes or those of someone else are on fire, stop, drop to the
ground and roll over and over to put out the flames.
14. Do not return to the site of the emergency until instructed to do so by
the Fire Brigade or Security.
15. If you are trapped in a room:
a. call for help in any way possible: shouting phone or cell phone.
b. wedge cloth material along the bottom of the door to keep out
smoke.
c. close as many doors as possible between you and the fire.
d. if windows open and you must have air, open the window. Do not
break the window as it will become impossible to close it again if this
becomes necessary.
All fires, no matter how small or how easily extinguished, must be
reported to Security who will then notify the Fire Brigade
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Annex 4 – Report form
Reported by:
Name and surname:
Department/section:
Employed as:
Date and place of the emergency:
Date (day, month, year)
When the emergency occured (from/to)
Where it occured
Emergency:
Type of emergency (e.g. common larceny)
Cause of the emergency
Damage caused by the emergency:
Health damage
Damage of the collections
Other property damage
Damage of the building
Reaction:
Reported to (person):
Reported on (date and time):
I hereby confirm that all information provided above is complete and correct.
Date
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Signature
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Illicit Traffic
Lyndel Prott
Former Director of Cultural Heritage Division, UNESCO
Introduction
A very important aspect of the duty of all museum
directors, curators and other professionals is to protect the
heritage from theft, clandestine excavation and illegal
export. Theft may occur from exhibited materials, but
often also from museum store rooms, which are subject to
less frequent inspection. Clandestine excavation is a
concern when a museum is responsible for a culture whose
remains have been discovered. Unattended or unwatched
sites attract unauthorised diggers who may cause a great
deal of damage to objects and to the site by digging
trenches, using poles or detaching elements from standing
remains. Damage to context, especially the confusion of
strata, or deliberate falsification of the claimed provenance
in order to cover the tracks of the thieves, may ruin the site
for archaeological interpretation. Thefts from excavation
team storehouses are also common. Illegal export may
involve not only stolen or illegally excavated objects, but
also those subject to an export ban or restrictive licence
because of their importance to the national heritage. The
exporter may be the owner, but there may also have been
another illegal transaction involved, such as an
unauthorised transfer of ownership. In any of these cases,
the heritage accessible to citizens and scholars of the
country of origin is diminished.
Prevention
The first important step in managing the situation is to
have a security plan. This should cover physical security
(adequate exhibition cases or other protection, burglar
alarms etc.), trained security guards, a complete
inventory and location list for every item in the
collection, a priority list for the most important items to
be protected in an emergency, and contingency plans for
evacuation in case of emergency. There should be
training for all museum staff in the security plan,
including rehearsals for managing an emergency, and all
should have the appropriate contact numbers for police
and other backup services. In an emergency situation
looting very often occurs.
As there have been many cases of thefts by museum
staff, volunteers or contractors’ workers with access to
collections, or where inside information has been used to
assist thieves, staff should therefore be checked for any
criminal record before being employed, and casual and
volunteer staff may need to be excluded from the most
sensitive areas of the museum including detailed
catalogues and inventories.
Inventories
In any security plan it is essential to know the contents
of the museum. To this end the collection should be fully
inventoried. Inventories must have enough information
to allow verifiable identification of an object when
found, seized by public authorities as suspect or offered
for sale, either locally or abroad.
While some museums have inventories which are very
detailed, they may not include the most essential
information for identifying an object. A registration mark
may quickly be removed. Also, it may be difficult or
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OBJECT ID CHECKLIST
Take Photographs
Photographs are of vital importance in identifying and
recovering stolen objects. In addition to overall views,
take close-ups of inscriptions, markings, and any
damage or repairs. If possible, include a scale or
object of known size in the image.
Answer These Questions:
Type of Object: What kind of object is it
(e.g., painting, sculpture, clock, mask)?
Materials & Techniques: What materials is the object
made of (e.g., brass, wood, oil on canvas)? How was it
made (e.g., carved, cast, etched)?
Measurements: What is the size and/or weight of the
object? Specify which unit of measurement is being
used (e.g., cm., in.) and to which dimension the
measurement refers (e.g., height, width, depth).
The Song Dynasty Head
On 27 November 1996, thieves beheaded a stone statue from a tomb
of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) to the southwest of Gongyi, a city in
China’s central Henan Province. The head was found in San Francisco
in November 1997.
The head was easily identifiable as an exceptional Grade I object by
the Chinese cultural relics authorities. The Chinese offered proofs with
photographs of the intact statue originally taken to classify the tomb as
a monument. The photograph of the statue, especially its historically
damaged features, uniquely identified the missing head. It was
returned to China in 1998.
impossible to physically mark some items, such as coins,
medals, jewels, gemstones or cylinder seals. In any event,
it is essential that each object has, at a minimum, 8 key
items of identification and a photograph (or drawing or
other image). These necessary elements have been agreed
on by international museum, police, customs, insurance
and data base experts and included in “Object-ID”.
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Inscriptions & Markings: Are there any identifying
markings, numbers, or inscriptions on the object
(e.g., a signature, dedication, title, maker’s marks,
purity marks, property marks)?
Distinguishing Features: Does the object have any
physical characteristics that could help to identify it
(e.g., damage, repairs, or manufacturing defects)?
Title: Does the object have a title by which it is known
and might be identified (e.g., The Scream)?
Subject: What is pictured or represented
(e.g., landscape, battle, woman holding child)?
Date or Period: When was the object made
(e.g., 1893, early 17th century, Late Bronze Age)?
Maker: Do you know who made the object? This may
be the name of a known individual (e.g., Thomas
Tompion), a company (e.g., Tiffany), or a cultural group
(e.g., Hopi).
Write a Short Description: This can also include any
additional information which helps to identify the
object (e.g., colour and shape of the object, where it
was made).
Keep It Secure: Having documented the object, keep
this information in a secure place.
© The J. Paul Getty Trust, 1999
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Object-ID also provides an easy way to create an
inventory record where none exists. It can be very
quickly generated by trained volunteers with index cards
and a pencil. There are also computer programmes
available for immediate entry of data.
Once this data has been collected, it should be protected
in some very secure site. If on the site of the museum,
perhaps in a safe or buried under the floor. It is also very
important to have duplicate copies away from the
museum, and if possible outside the country. The
existence of a duplicate copy of the inventory of the
Angkor Conservation Centre in Cambodia, held at the
French Institute of Far Eastern Studies, Paris, was a key
element in tracing items stolen from that centre which had
been found outside the country. Similar international or
regional cooperation arrangements can be very valuable.
All this should be done well in advance of any
emergency. Natural disasters are unpredictable and usually
unexpected, internal and international conflicts may
progress very rapidly to a stage where the emergency
services are needed for humanitarian rescues and other
tasks that are likely to be given a higher priority by the
Familarisation:
Run an exercise including museum, customs and police officers (who will all
need to be familiar with Object-ID, the now accepted international standard for
the exchange of key information on missing cultural objects).
Place a museum object on a table, give each participant a form and ask them to
fill it out in respect of that object. Then read them out and note how differently
police and customs officers may describe the object from museum staff. Make
sure museum staff see that those from other services understand the terms
which museum staff use.
Note also that the language used by the museum staff has to be
•
•
•
Understandable by police and customs officers in your country
Readily translatable into other languages (for international claims)
Understandable by people in other countries who are not expert in your
country’s culture, or with special cultural or artistic names or descriptions.
authorities. Preparations should, therefore, be already
well-planned and practised if at all possible in cooperation
with the emergency services, so that a museum can be
defended against looters even where immediate help is not
available from enforcement agencies.
National Legislation
An important part of the plan to prevent illegal movement
of cultural heritage items is to have adequate national
legislation and regulations These should make clear that
unauthorised excavation is criminal activity and provide
serious penalties by way of fines and imprisonment.
Cultural items found during a house search, in a vehicle or
on the suspected person should be forfeited if he or she is
found guilty. A number of countries now provide for
confiscation of any equipment used in such illegal activity,
which is a substantial deterrent where motor vehicles,
aircraft or earthmoving equipment is used.
It is advisable to provide that all undiscovered antiquities
belong to the State. This facilitates recovery from other
countries as all States recognize ownership rights, but not
all enforce foreign export laws. Without this provision it is
difficult to prove theft in a foreign court, since the
requesting State has no evidence (photos or description) of
the missing object. It is essential that these ownership laws
be enforced in respect of undiscovered antiquities and that
citizens not be allowed to appropriate State owned
antiquities, since a foreign court may then refuse to
enforce the ownership law against others.
Other provisions should require dealers in cultural
objects to keep registers noting the provenance and
previous ownership of any object in their possession as
well of the purchasers’ names and addresses. They all
should have a clear duty to inform the purchaser of the
details entered in the Register, as well as of any export
limitations applying to the object. There should be
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provision for regular inspection of dealers’ registers and
prosecution if they are not being properly kept or false
entries are found. An appropriate penalty is the loss of a
dealer’s licence and confiscation of any illegally acquired
cultural objects found in their possession.
There may also be special penalties for museum guards or
other staff, or site curators, who assist thieves or clandestine
diggers.
Tourists and Visitors
Efforts need to be made to alert visitors to the country to
the fact that its heritage is protected and to their duty, as a
guest, to comply with the laws of the country. Posters
should be placed at border entry points, particularly in
airport arrival and departure areas and customs posts at
land crossings and seaports. These should explain that
illicit traffic is deeply damaging to the heritage of the local
people and call for their willing co-operation. A leaflet
explaining the rules and inviting compliance should be
issued at the time of granting a visa.
In particular, visitors should be aware of
• the major categories of objects whose export, or
export without a licence, is forbidden
• the criminal and civil penalties which apply, including
the possibility of confiscation without compensation
• the fact that undiscovered antiquities are the
property of the State
• that any object purchased should be accompanied by
details of provenance, previous ownership and proof of
purchase.
Tourists and others should be encouraged to buy good
quality local handicrafts and museum replicas rather than
seek original objects of archaeological or ethnological
importance. Where possible, the authorities should set up
good shops in the museums and airport departure lounges
which specialise in these items.
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Training
To properly prepare a security plan and carry it out, it is
essential to train museum staff, police and civil defence
officers, where these exist, because co-operation between
them will be necessary. Integrated training seminars can be
run at a regional or sub-regional level with the assistance
of UNESCO or ICOM. At the national level, participants
in one of the regional or sub-regional training sessions can
use the publication issued by UNESCO “Preventing the
Illicit Traffic in Cultural Property. A Resource Handbook
for the Implementation of the 1970 UNESCO
Convention” edited by Pernilla Askerud and Etienne
Clement (Paris, UNESCO Division of Cultural Heritage,
1997) which was designed to help those planning seminars
at the national level.
These seminars should be held regularly to continually
widen the numbers of trained people and to ensure that
museum staff and police develop a close relationship to
rely on in times of crisis.
Detection
It is most important that crimes against cultural heritage
do not go undetected, for this encourages successful
wrongdoers to continue their criminal activities. Store
rooms and exhibited items should be regularly checked
against the inventory or Object-ID List. As well as
checks for complete loss, there should be checks for
possible substitution of copies for originals. Any losses
should be immediately reported and a case description
made out which should include the suspected date of
crime (or earliest to latest suspected date); mode of entry
(e.g. concealment of museum visitor after hours,
breaking and entering), mode of crime (e.g. interference
with burglar alarm or other detection device; opening of
safe), and other information. The police should in all
cases be contacted.
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The best way to devise such a reporting system would be
in cooperation with the local or national police. Interpol
has had particular experience with crimes concerning
cultural property items and will advise them on the
development of an appropriate “scene of crime” report.
The Object-ID record of the item or items should be
attached. Where a heritage object is misappropriated for
sale in a foreign market, it is essential that action be taken
immediately upon discovery, since in the case of preplanned thefts, experience shows that clandestine
transportation is likely to have been already arranged in
advance so it is likely that the stolen property will leave the
country within as little as 12 hours. This means that the
report and Object-ID need to be circulated internationally
as soon as possible. This can be done by the national police
section responsible for contact with Interpol. Interrpol will
then immediately enter the details in their data base,
which is accessible by computer to all participating police
and customs services, and help with other notifications or
publicity.
Customs services can also play a key role in detecting
objects leaving the country. Customs officers need to be
included in training sessions so that they understand
what are the most important and vulnerable objects in
the country likely to be exported illegally. They may pick
up clues when baggage or freight is presented for
checking, and they also contact customs services in other
countries to alert them to the issue. Customs officers also
work closely with customs authorities in other countries,
directly or through the World Customs Union.
Recovery
The steps already mentioned are very important because
once an object has left the country, the chances of its
recovery are very small. Nonetheless, many countries,
when aware that important cultural property has been
Training Exercise
1. What are the most important objects in your museum? Make a priority
security and rescue list.
2. What are the types of threat most likely for your museum? (Theft?
Earthquake? Civil disturbance? Invasion? Flood? )
3. What type of security does your museum have? (Secure buildings?
Burglar alarms? Guards night and day? Locked exhibition cases?)
4. How can security be improved?
5. Is there an INTERPOL Liaison Office in your national Police service? Is its
INTERPOL membership payment current?
6. Who is the responsible contact officer in the police force for museum
security and theft of museum objects? Does everyone have his contact
details?
7. Who is the responsible contact office in the national customs service?
Does everyone have his contact details?
illegally removed from their territory, will seek the
assistance of international and foreign national authorities
to have it returned and to take legal action against the
wrongdoer.
This sends a warning to any dealer or collector who
handles cultural material coming from that country that
he or she must check that its provenance is legal, or run
the risk of claims and litigation which may result in the
loss of the object without compensation and also
besmirch his or her reputation.
International Conventions
There are certain international treaties which are
designed to help in the tracing and recovery of cultural
objects which have left the country. These are
• the 1954 Protocol to the Hague Convention for the
Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed
Conflict 1954
• the UNESCO Convention on the Means of
Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export
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International Co-operation
International co-operation can be generated through the use of
databases such as Art Loss Register or Invaluable (Trace) (both based
in the United Kingdom). It has become the practice of the art trade to
check the database for any major purchase to ensure that it is not
already registered as stolen. The catalogues of forthcoming auctions of
the big auction houses are also matched to the database and have
sometimes resulted in the location of a missing cultural object. IFAR
Bulletins (USA) also advertise losses and UNESCO and ICOM may also
give notice of selected items or of generally critical situations (such as
the massive losses in Afghanistan, Cambodia and Iraq) when many
thousands of objects have been looted. The greater the publicity given,
the harder it will be for a dealer or buyer to claim that he or she did
not know that the objects had been illegally handled.
and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property 1970
• Convention on mutual administrative assistance for
the prevention, investigation and repression of Customs
offences 1977 (Nairobi Convention) Annex 11
• the UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally
Exported Cultural Objects 1995
• Convention on the Protection of the Underwater
Cultural Heritage 2001
The text of these Conventions is available at
http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=12025&
URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=-471.html
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Application of the Conventions
These conventions apply only between States which are
a party to them. To find out if a State is a party to the
Convention and the date on which it came into force for
it, consult the internet site listed below:
• 1954 Convention and Protocols
http://erc.unesco.org/cp/convention.asp?KO=15391&la
nguage=E
• 1970 convention
http://erc.unesco.org/cp/convention.asp?KO=13039&la
nguage=E
• 1977 Convention and Annex 11
http://www.wcoomd.org/ie/En/Conventions/EG0005E
1.PDF
• 1995 Convention
http://www.unidroit.org/english/implement/i-95.htm
• 2001 Convention
http://erc.unesco.org/cp/convention.asp?KO=13520&la
nguage=E
Some States will only apply these Conventions in
respect of objects illegally moved after the date on which
both States became a Party to them.
Over 80 countries are party to the Hague Protocol 1954,
although not the United Kingdom and the United States.
Major collecting and transit countries in Europe such as
France, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland are
party, so this is a very useful instrument if an object has
been lost during or as a result of civil or international
conflict.
There are now 104 States Parties to the 1970
Convention, including the United States, United
Kingdom, France, Japan and Switzerland. Sweden and the
Netherlands has announced its intention to ratify and
Germany is studying the matter. All other European
countries are party, so this covers the majority of transit
and collecting States.
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The much newer UNIDROIT Convention has 22
States Parties, but complements the UNESCO
Convention and is recommended by UNESCO. It is
important because it covers certain issues which are either
ambiguous or not mentioned in the earlier Convention,
and among many other things ensures that foreign owners
can have direct access to the legal system and procedures
of the country where the object is located.
The Nairobi Customs Convention now has 50 States
Parties and 32 of them are parties to Annex XI which
specifically deals with cultural property. Unfortunately
they do not yet include any of the major art trading and
transit States.
The newest Convention of all, the 2001 Convention on
the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, has
special provisions which will help in the recovery of objects
from underwater sites which may never have entered the land
territory of the State, but were in waters under its jurisdiction
and subject to its law.
Altogether these five conventions cover the illegal
movement and recovery of cultural heritage items in
peace, in conflict, on land and underwater. They are
important weapons for countries fighting the illegal trade.
Recovery where the Conventions do not apply
If neither State, or only one State, is a Party to the
Convention, the rules of the Convention cannot be
applied. In such cases the first step is to negotiate between
institutions or individuals e.g. between a museum and
private collector or between two museums. If these
negotiations fail, an approach may be made on a
government-to-government basis.
Litigation
While a number of countries have been able to recover
illegally traded objects from other countries by litigation,
A gilded bronze bell, originally a sacrificial utensil of the Temple of
Heaven, Beijing, was looted from the site by a British Officer in 1901.
The bell dates from the late Ming Dynasty and is about 500 years old.
The Temple of Heaven was first built in 1420, at the same time as the
construction of the Forbidden City.
A descendant of the British Officer took the bell to India and gave it to an
Indian Officer as a gift during the Second World War. On 22 July 1994,
the Indian Officer, by then General Josh, returned it to the Chinese
General Zhang Wannian when he was invited to visit China. In May 1995,
a ceremony of return was held in the Temple of Heaven. Delegates of the
Chinese government, Chinese Military and the Ambassador of India
attended. The bell is now kept in the Temple of Heaven.
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such action may prove to be very expensive. New
Zealand’s action in the United Kingdom to recover
Maori carved wooden panels prohibited from export,
which was unsuccessful, is estimated to have cost about
£200,000 in 1983, while India’s costs to recover the
statue of a clandestinely excavated Siva Nataraja bronze
statue in 1988, also in London, though ultimately
successful, cost at least £100,000, although these costs
were ultimately recovered from the purchaser. This is one
reason why maximising action through the Convention
procedures is important.
A government also needs to consider the time of its
experts and administrators who may be involved for
years in preparing litigation and possibly travelling
overseas to give evidence. This is increased where the
legal system is a different one (the differences between a
Code-based [usually“Roman Law”] and Common Law
based [usually English-derived] systems are significant)
and where the language of proceedings and the social
context are unfamiliar. Each legal system has its own
rules on substance, conduct of proceedings and
evidence, so that it is always necessary to employ local
legal advice to some extent in another county.
The UNESCO Inter-governmental Committee
Where bilateral inter-State negotiations fail, the
UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the
Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or
its Restitution in Case of Illicit Appropriation,
established in 1978, will have competence. This applies
where the requesting and requested States are members
of UNESCO (Singapore is currently the only State
which is not). The Statutes and basic mission of this
Committee can be found on its website at
http://www.unesco.org/culture/laws/committee/html_e
ng/statutese.pdf
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There is a special form for the making of requests for
return and Guidelines to help in its completion. These
can be obtained from the
International Standards Section
Division of Cultural Heritage
UNESCO
7 place Fontenoy
Paris 75032
(email: [email protected] )
Forms must be completed at least six months before
the next regular meeting of the Committee and include
information about the circumstances of the loss, the
condition of the object and a full description and history
of it. The requested State then completes the file with
information on the object and its condition as well as the
history of the acquisition. The request is then considered
by the Committee which makes Recommendations for
the settlement of the dispute. The Committee is not able
to take a decision, but acts as a mediator between the
parties. The Committee normally meets once every two
years in the northern hemisphere, in Spring (about 6
months before the General Conference).
Conclusion
Illicit traffic is an extremely complex problem which
must be tackled from many sides. Museum staff have a
key role to play as guardians of the national heritage.
They can educate and provide the training information
to help local people and the members of customs, police
and administrative services recognize the significance of
heritage objects, show them how to identify them as well
as enlist these people in the fight against illicit traffic.
Each museum needs to have a security plan, adequate
and properly secured inventories and close working
arrangements with the other services which will help
them prevent and detect crimes against cultural heritage
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Checklist
For museum staff, government officers who deal with
international conventions and liaise with police and
customs officers
1. Is your country party to each of the four conventions mentioned above?
2. If not, find out why and try to deal with the problem so that it can
become a Party.
3. Has your country participated in the work of the Intergovernmental
Committee?
4. If not, establish why and propose that an active programme of
participation and/or nomination for membership of the Committee is
undertaken.
5. Are the customs officers familiar with the major types of important
cultural objects of your country so that they can be seized if identified at
customs exit points?
6. Has your Customs Service ever taken action to collaborate with a foreign
customs service to assist with the return of cultural objects?
7. Are the appropriate customs officers familiar with the 4 conventions and
do they know who to contact in the foreign customs services of the
major countries likely to receive illegally traded cultural objects from
your country?
8. Do the police know the appropriate contact at the Interpol Head Office in
Lyon? Are they familiar with the special form for action requested in
respect of cultural items?
9. Have they ever notified the loss of an important heritage item to
Interpol?
10. How can collaboration between police, the customs and the museum
services be improved?
and to recover the objects taken. These are continuing
tasks which must be performed again and again, and
regular training and information sessions should be part
of every museum’s annual activities.
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Brief explanations of some key terms as they are used in this book
(please refer also to the Glossary to the ICOM Code of Professional Ethics)
Acid-free: A pH (acidity test) reading of 7.0 (neutral) or higher (alkaline)
in a substance is a requirement for archival housing and storage
materials, as acids can weaken cellulose in paper, cloth and board.
Acids also weaken proteinaceous material.
Acceptable risk: A risk whose frequency and extent cannot cause a major
loss to the organisation (e.g. damage of an object that forms part of a
collection, health damage etc.). The level of acceptability, i.e. the
extent of acceptable loss, is defined by the organisation itself on the
basis of moral criteria and the laws and regulations of the country.
Access (in the context of Collections Management, Security etc.): The
process of controlling who enters or leaves a secure collections storage
or study area, when they may enter and leave, and where they may go
and what they may do after they are inside.
Access (in the context of Visitor Services, Marketing etc.): Giving the
general visitor or specialist the opportunity to use the displays,
facilities and services of the museum, its research and study
collections, and to meet staff. This also includes access at the
appropriate intellectual level, and which is free from social and
cultural prejudice.
Account: Individual record established for each category of asset, liability,
fund balance, expense, or revenue.
Account payable: Debt or obligation due to suppliers or vendors for
goods purchased or services rendered.
Account receivable: Money due to the organization from services
rendered, donations or dues promised, grants awarded, loans made, or
employee advances (not yet accounted for) due but not yet paid.
Acquisitions: Additions to the museum’s collection, whether by
donation, bequest, purchase, field collecting or exchange.
Advisory board (or committee): (a) Group of leaders with specific
expertise responsible for providing counsel and advice to public service
organizations. (b) Group of individuals, usually well known,
influential, or prominent, whose public support and endorsement
supplies credibility.
Advocacy: Investment in creating long-term relationships with the
museum’s current and potential future public. Having a loyal group of
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visitors and supporting local community can provide persuasive
evidence to politicians, businesses and the press that the museum is a
successful organisation and worth investing in.
Annual report: Yearly report, usually focused on financial or
organizational conditions, compiled and published by the
organization’s leadership.
Appraisal (collections management): The authentication and valuation
of an object or specimen. In certain countries the term is used for an
independent assessment of a proposed gift for tax benefit purposes.
Appraisal (personnel management): The periodic review, usually annual,
of an individual employee by a senior representative of the employer,
which examines past performance and future responsibilities, and
training and other needs.
Audit: (a) Process to examine the records, files, and accounting
documents of an organization, to ensure compliance with internal
revenue codes. (b) Examination of financial records in accordance with
procedures designed to ascertain the validity and accuracy of the
financials.
Board of directors or board of trustees: Two or more individuals serving
as the governing body of an organisation.
Brand: A name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of
them, intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or
group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competition
(American Association of Marketing). In practical terms, a brand is
the name, logo or symbol of a product or a service, including a
museum.
Brand equity: Brand equity is the added value the brand gives to a
product. It can be of enormous value for the manufacturer or the
provider of a service. The consumers or audiences can give the brand
positive or negative value.
Budgeting: A process of determining the allocation and expenditure of
existing or potential financial resources of a specific period of time.
The budget is developed at the conclusion of the planning process
where it represents the prioritized allocation of limited financial
resources to accomplish stated museum objectives.
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Budget surplus or deficit: The difference between budget receipts and
expenditure.
Accession (also Accessioning): The formal acceptance of an item into a
collection and its recording into the holdings of the museum and
generally includes a transfer of title.
Cataloguing: Assigning an object to an established classification system
and having a record containing such things as identification,
provenance, accession and catalogue numbers and location of that
object in the collection storage area.
Charitable organisation: Term in some countries used to describe notfor-profit organisations.
Clandestine excavation: unlicensed or otherwise illegal digging or
removal of buried antiquities or other cultural heritage.
Collection: An identifiable selection of objects having some significant
commonality.
Collections care: A holistic approach to the preservation and
conservation of collections that involves all aspects of the museum,
from the facilities in which collections are stored and used to basic
policies and practices and the education and training of staff;
collections care is the responsibility of all employees.
Collections management: Administration and care of collections with
concern for their long-term physical well-being and safety. Includes
issues of conservation, access and use, inventory and record keeping as
well as administration of the overall composition of the collections in
relation to the museum’s mission and goals.
Collection management policy: A comprehensive written statement that
describes what, why and how a museum collects. It is a public
document that articulates an individual museum’s professional
standards about collecting and care of collections.
Community relations: Initiation and maintenance of communications
and interaction with the community at large and with specific
constituencies.
Computerisation: The process of transferring manual records of any kind
(particularly catalogues of collections, and financial, personnel and
marketing records) to computer storage and management.
Condition report: An accurate, written, and photographic description of an
object or document state of preservation at a moment in time and
updated each time the object is involved in any activity, such as going on
loan or put on exhibit. Assists in planning for conservation treatment.
Conflict of interest: The existence of a personal or private interest which
gives rise to a clash of principle in a work situation, thus restricting, or
having the appearance of restricting, the objectivity of decision
making.
Conservator-restorer: Museum or independent personnel competent to
undertake the technical examination, preservation, conservation and
restoration of cultural property.
Consultant: Someone providing services to an organization (usually for a
fee) in a capacity other than that of “employee.”
Contract: An agreement enforceable in law.
Context: the micro – and macro-environment of an archaeological find
and specifically the spatial relationship of objects to one another and
their physical surroundings which may enable the scientific
establishment of the temporal relationships, especially from soil strata.
Contribution (donation): Transfer of money or property without the
expectation of material return.
Cultural heritage: UNESCO defines the cultural heritage as “the entire
spirit of a people in terms of its values, actions, works, institutions,
monuments and sites”. Within this definition UNESCO recognises in
particular:
the tangible cultural heritage: including archaeological and other
cultural sites, monuments, groups of buildings and whole historic
cities, cultural landscapes, natural sacred sites, the underwater
cultural heritage, museums, the movable cultural heritage of works
of art and objects and collections of art, history and science,
handicrafts, the documentary, digital and cinematographic heritage,
the intangible cultural heritage: including oral traditions, languages,
festive events, rites and beliefs, music and song, the performing arts,
traditional medicine, literature, culinary traditions, and traditional
sports and games.
Deaccession: The permanent removal of an object or collection from the
holdings and records of a museum.
Design: An arrangement of forms and colours, or both, intended to be
wrought out for use or ornament.
Direct marketing: Direct marketing are the promotion efforts that are
directed towards a specified group or even specified individuals. While
advertisements and public relations hit broad and uncontrolled, direct
marketing is controlled and directed toward specific targets.
Dealing: Buying and selling items for personal or institutional gain.
Documentation: All paper and other physical records and electronic
records of information relating to an object or collection; the term is
also used for the process of creating records pertaining to each object
in a collection.
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Due diligence: The requirement that every endeavour is made to
establish the facts of a case before deciding a course of action,
particularly in identifying the source and history of an item offered for
acquisition or use before accepting it.
Designated funds: Funds set aside for specific purposes by action of the
governing board.
Direct cost: Expense specifically associated with and identifiable by
program, project, or activity.
Emergency plan: A document or other statement containing a written
summary of measures and procedures used in accident and emergency
management, i.e. a summary of planning, methodological and
information documents used for decision making, management and
co-ordination in such situations.
Employee: One who performs services for compensation and whose
working conditions are set by the employer. Everyone who works for
the museum, full-time and part-time employees.
Employee involvement: Process through which people exercise increased
control over their work to improve the effectiveness of their
organizations.
Endowment: Money not expended, but held for investment, with the
earnings available for program activities, either generally or as
restricted by the donor. The principal sum is kept intact, with only its
income being expended.
Evaluation: Monitoring or assessing the extent to which a program or
organization has met its goals and objectives.
Exhibition designer: Professionally trained person who creates forms and
solutions to a structure or space for exhibition use. Someone who
invents and prepares useful, decorative or artistic design.
Exhibition manager: Person in charge of the coordination of the
implementation of an exhibition project.
Exhibition plan: Written description of construction stages of an
exhibition.
Exhibition project: Written and drawn description of a proposed
exhibition.
Expendable funds: Funds available to finance the museum’s programs
and services. That portion of fund balances not already spent on fixed
assets and available for use in satisfying obligations.
Expenditure: Actual spending of money as distinct from the budget or
funding allocated. In most government and accounting systems this is
usually divided into Capital Expenditure: money spent on permanent
or long-term assets, for example to buy, build, improve, or rehabilitate
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physical facilities or equipment, and Revenue Expenditure: all other
current expenditure, such as staff pay and expenses, premises running
costs and regular maintenance, taxes, transport, exhibit and collections
expenditure.
Facilities management: Directing and overseeing the housekeeping,
maintenance, and structural aspects of a museum; may also include
architectural assistance, space utilization, or security.
Fiduciary: The relationship of a person to a museum where that person
is bound to exercise rights and powers in good faith for the benefit of
the museum.
Financial planning: A systematic process of assessing and matching an
organisation’s monetary needs and actual or potential monetary
resources.
Focus groups: These are groups of 5-9 people drawn from the general
public who are invited in advance to share and discuss their thoughts
on issues or developments. They are increasingly used in museum
visitor and market research.
Friends of the museum: Individuals and organisations legally separate
from the museum itself, but which support the museum by giving
time, and/or money to help the museum achieve its ambitions.
Fund: An accounting entity established to account for resources used for
specific activities or objectives in accordance with special regulations,
restrictions, or limitations. A Fund Group is a group of funds of
similar character; for example, operating funds, endowment funds,
restricted funds, and capital funds. Restricted Funds and these whose
use is restricted by the donor for specific purposes, in contrast with
funds that the organisation may use for any purpose it chooses in
keeping with its mission.
Grant: (a) Financial assistance to enable implementation of a project or
program based on an approved program, proposal, and budget.
(b) Gift or donation received for either a restricted or unrestricted
purpose.
Governing body: ICOM defines the Governing Body as “The persons or
organisations defined in the enabling legislation of the museum as
responsible for its continuance, strategic development and funding.”
The term is also used for any similar Board or Council established
under other legally binding procedures or agreements, not requiring
legislation.
Guidelines: Statements or documents clarifying rules. These may be
changed by the issuing authority in accordance with new
developments. They do not have the force of law.
Human resources: All of the actual and potential staff and volunteers
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that may be available to assist the museum in achieving its mission.
This term, rather than the older term “Personnel”, seeks to emphasise
that the labour force is one of the most valuable (and usually one of
the most costly) of all the museum’s resources, and therefore needs to
be effectively managed in the same way as other key resources, such as
the collections and premises.
Illegal export: removal from a country contrary to its law.
Income-generating activities: Activities intended to bring financial gain
or profit for the benefit of the institution.
Information management: The process of managing the many different
types of information collected, stored and used by the museum,
including collections and conservation documentation, fieldwork and
other research records.
In perpetuity: Literally means continuing forever. This is used in
reference to the curation of objects and documents by a museum for
the entire length of an object’s life.
Insurance: Coverage by contract whereby one party (usually an insurance
company, but in some cases a government) undertakes to indemnify or
guarantee another against loss as a result of a specified risk.
Inventory: A physically checked, itemised list of the objects in a
museum’s holdings. The terms Inventory Control and Location
Control are used to describe collections management and
administrative audit systems under which regular checks are made on
each object, or a random sample of objects, to ensure that it is still in
the collection, and is in its allocated display or storage location. (see
also Catalogue.)
Job description: A document analysing and describing the key features of
each job in the museum, including its purpose, conditions of
employment, key tasks and main responsibilities. These are very
important in both the process of recruitment of staff, and in day-today management of existing staff.
Legal title: Legal right to ownership of property in the country
concerned. In certain countries this may be a conferred right and
insufficient to meet the requirements of a due diligence search.
Loan-in: The temporary loan of an artefact or collection from another
museum, institution or individual to this museum, without a change
of ownership.
Loan-out: The temporary loan of an artefact or collection from this
museum to another museum, institution or individual, without a
change of ownership.
Lux (abbreviation: lx): the metric (SI) unit of light intensity: I lux is 1
lumen per square meter. The light exposure of an individual museum
object or work of art it now recorded as the intensity of illumination
in lux multiplied by exposure time in hours. This longer-term
exposure can be expressed Mega lux hours: one million lux hours
(Mlx/h).
Market definition: Effort by the organization to determine and define
which particular segment(s) of the market its operations, services, or
products should be serving.
Marketing: The process of planning and executing the conception,
pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to
create the exchanges processes that satisfy individual and
organisational objectives.
Marketing mix: This describes all the marketing tools the museum uses
to achieve the marketing objectives. A common way of sorting the
marketing mix is based on E. Jerome McCharty’s “4Ps of Marketing”:
Product, Price, Promotion and Place. The “4Ps” emphasise that
everything from shaping the product to the promotion is marketing.
Market segmentation: Dividing the market in e.g. geographical and/or
demographical segments to sort out segments where the museum has
optimal opportunities. These segments can then be chosen as target
groups.
Minimum standard: A standard to which it is reasonable to expect all
museums and museum personnel to aspire. Certain countries have
their own statements of minimum standards.
Mission statement: A brief statement that summarises the museum’s
reason for existence, typically including: who we are, what we do, for
whom we do it, and why.
Museum: See the ICOM Code of Professional Ethics, Appendix 1.
Museum professional: See the ICOM Code of Professional Ethics,
Appendix 1.
Museum security: The immediate capacity of a museum to fulfil one of
its basic tasks, i.e. protect its employees, visitors, collections, other
movable and immovable property and reputation.
Museum security system: Includes all technical means and organisational
measures aimed at ensuring the required level of security.
Natural heritage: UNESCO defines the natural heritage as comprising
natural features, consisting of physical and biological formations or
groups of such formations, geological and physiographical formations
which constitute the habitat of threatened species of animals and
plants which are of outstanding universal value from aesthetic,
scientific or conservation point of view, and natural sites or precisely
delineated natural areas of outstanding universal value from the point
of view of science, conservation or natural beauty.
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Non-profit organisation: A legally established body, corporate or
unincorporated, whose income (including any surplus or profit) is
used solely for the public interest, typically for the benefit of that body
and its operation. The term “not-for-profit” has the same meaning.
Organisational development: Process of analysing the formal and
informal structures of the museum, determining needs and problems,
and designing a systematic plan for incorporating appropriate, feasible
changes into the structures to increase the overall effectiveness of
service delivery by the museum or one of its programmes.
Organisational structure and infrastructure: Definition of the
relationships, roles, responsibilities, and capabilities within an
organisation.
Person specification: This is developed from the Job Description and
identifies the qualifications, skills and experience needed in order to be
able to do the job at the required standard.
Pilot project: Initial project designed and funded to serve as a model for
similar projects meeting the same needs in other areas.
Planning: Devising methods through which to achieve an objective.
Detailed expression of an action program to reach an identified
objective, enabling a coordinated, shared effort.
Preservation (of collections): The reduction of any and all future losses
to the collection.
Preventive conservation: Measures to maintain the collections in stable
condition through preventive maintenance, condition surveys,
environmental controls and pest management (as opposed to processes
involving physical intervention, e.g. restoration).
Provenance: The full history and ownership of an item from the time of
its creation or discovery through to the present day, from which
authenticity and legal ownership is determined.
Policy deployment: Developing and communicating guidance needed to
coordinate and execute activity throughout the museum to achieve
common goals and objectives.
Public relations: Public relations is the deliberate, planned and sustained
effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an
organisation and its public.
Record keeping: Design and implementation of a system to collect
management or program information.
Relative humidity (abbreviation: RH or rh): The amount of moisture
vapour (gas) in the air, expressed as a percentage of the maximum
possible at that temperature. This is usually expressed as a percentage
of the moisture level of saturated air at a given temperature.
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Risk (to the collections): Degree of danger of loss to the collections,
whether total and catastrophic, or gradual and cumulative from any
cause, whether natural or humanly induced, accidental or deliberate.
Risk can be defined as a product of probability and consequences of
the incident, i.e. Risk = Probability x Consequences
Risk analysis: A process in which the museum management identifies
the frequency and seriousness of dangers threatening the museum (its
employees, visitors, collections, other movable and immovable
property and reputation). The outcome of risk analysis is the
assessment of each of the risks – for the purposes of this chapter, on a
five-grade scale: (a) negligible; (b) low; (c) medium; (d) high, and (e)
catastrophic.
Security: Controlled access to premises for the public, staff and
researchers to limit the opportunities for theft and destruction to
collections.
Showcase (vitrine): Specially designed piece of furniture dedicated to
display one or several objects.
Special events: Activities used to draw attention to the museum or to
raise money, for example, exhibition receptions, open houses, and
banquets.
Stakeholders: the various audience groups and others with a legal,
financial or moral interest in the museum and its responsibilities and
work: all those people who would directly or indirectly be affected by
the action of a museum including employees, government officials, the
local or national community, researchers and other museum
professionals as well as the visitors.
Security management: Includes all management instruments, measures
and procedures having impact on the level of the institution’s security.
Security policy: A document or other statement defining, on the basis of
risk analysis, the required level of the museum’s security (the
acceptable level of individual risks).
Strategic plan of museum protection: Includes all planned activities
aimed at fortifying the organisation against various kinds of risks
(ensuring security of the museum) on the required level and with
clearly defined priorities
SWOT analysis: An analysis of the museum’s overall situation, both of
the organisation itself and the environment. Internal factors are
analysed according to Strengths and Weaknesses, external factors
according to Opportunities and Threats – hence “SWOT”.
Target audience: The group for which an exhibit, exhibition or display is
intended.
Target market: That portion of the total market selected by the
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organization as the focus of its marketing, sales, or other efforts.
Teamwork: The coordinated effort and activity between several
individuals in which each does a part.
Theft: a taking of property with the intent to deprive the owner of it.
Valid title: Indisputable legal right to ownership of property, supported
by full provenance of the item from discovery or production.
Visitor - actual, potential & virtual: Actual visitors are the current
audience of the museum, potential visitors are others within the same
community or region who the museum may wish to attract in the
future, while virtual visitors are those making use of the museum’s
information and other resources via the Internet, usually through
websites and on-line databases of the museum’s collections and
environmental records.
Visitor studies: Market research techniques and research which aims to
collect information about visitors, their views and experiences of the
museum, its displays, exhibitions and services.
Web: Popular abbreviation for the Internet-based World Wide Web
information and communication system
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O’Keefe P.J., 1997. Trade in Antiquities: Reducing Destruction and Theft
(Paris: UNESCO, London: Archetype; Paris, London).
O’Keefe, P.J., 2000. Commentary on the UNESCO 1970 Convention on
Illicit Traffic (Leicester: Institute of Art and Law).
O’Keefe, P.J., 2002. Shipwrecked Heritage: A Commentary on the
UNESCO Convention on Underwater Cultural Heritage. (Leicester:
Institute of Art and Law).
O’Keefe, P.J., 2004. The First Protocol to the Hague Convention Fifty
Years On. Art, Antiquity and Law. vol. 9, pp. 99-116.
Pinniger, D. 2001. Pest management in museums, archives and historic
houses. (London: Archetype Publications).
Prott, L.V., 1997 Commentary on the UNIDROIT Convention 1995.
(Leicester: Institute of Art and Law).
Raphael, T., (no date : ca.2000). Exhibit conservation guidelines:
incorporating conservation into exhibit planning, design and fabrication.
(CD-ROM: Harper’s Ferry, USA: US National Park Service).
Reussner E.M., (2003). Strategic management for visitor-oriented
museums. International Journal of Cultural Policy, vol. 9, no. 1, (12
April 2003), pp. 95-108.
Rose, C. L. & de Torres, A.R., 1992. Storage of Natural History
Collections: Ideas and Practical Solutions. (Pittsburgh: Society for the
Preservation of Natural History Collections).
Rose, C.L., Hawkes, C.A. & Genoways, H., 1995. Storage of Natural
History Collections: A Preventive Conservation Approach. (Pittsburgh:
Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections).
Runyard, S. & French, Y., 2000. Marketing and Public Relations
Handbook for Museums, Galleries and Heritage Attractions. (London:
The Stationary Office).
Screven, C., 1985. Evaluación de exposiciones en de Museos. (Mexico City:
Comité Nacional Mexicano).
Section Française de l’IIC, 2001. Préserver les objets de son patrimoine:
précis de conservation preventive. (Paris : Sprimont Mardaga).
Shackley, M., 2001. Managing Sacred Sites Service Provision and Visitor
Experience (London: Continuum).
Strang, T. 2001. Principles of heat disinfestations. pp. 114 – 129 in
Kingsley, H., 2001 (q.v.).
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Swarbrooke, J., 2001. Development and Management of Visitor Attractions
(Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann).
Tétreault, J. 1999. Coatings for Display and Storage in Museums. CCI
Technical Bulletin, No. 21. (Ottawa: Canadian Conservation Institute).
Tétreault, J. 2003. Airborne Pollutants in Museums, Galleries, and
Archives: Risk Assessment, Control Strategies, and Preservation
Management. (Ottawa: Canadian Conservation Institute, Ottawa.
Thomson, G. 1986. The Museum Environment. (2nd edition). (Oxford:
Butterworths-Heineman). London.
Thompson, J.M.A. (editor), 1992. Manual of Curatorship: A Guide to
Museum Practice. (Second Edition). (Oxford: Butterworth).
Thornes, R. (1999). Introduction to Object ID. Guidelines for making
records that describe art, antiques and antiquities. (Santa Monica, CA.:
Getty Information Institute; Oxford: OUP).
Total, 2003. Sharing our energies – Corporate Social Responsibility Report.
(Paris: Total).
Velarde, G., 1989. Designing Exhibitions. The Principles and process of
Contemporary Show Space Design. (New York: Watson-Guptill Publications).
Verhaar J. & Han, M., 1989. Project Model Exhibitions (Amsterdam:
Amsterdamse Hogeschool voor Kunsten).
Waidacher, Friedrich, 1999. Handbuch der Allgemeinen Museologie,
(Vienna: Böhlau).
Waller, R 2003. Cultural property risk analysis model : development and
application to preventive conservation at the Canadian Museum of Nature.
Göteborg studies in conservation #13. Göteborg University, Göteborg.
Weschenfelder, K. & Zacharias, W. 1992. Handbuch Museumspädagogik:
Orientierungen und Methoden für die Praxis. (3rd revised edition). Düsseldorf.
Wilson, L-A. & Boyle, E., 2004. Explaining the performance of a new
public service visitor attraction shop. International Journal of
Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 16, no. 5 (1 May 2004),
pp. 299-308.
Wolf, T., 1999. Managing a Nonprofit Organization in the Twenty-First
Century. (New York: Simon & Schuster.)
Websites with practical information and guidance
(Grouped by topic)
International Organisations and General Information
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organisation (UNESCO): Culture Sector Home Page:
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http://www.unesco.org/culture/ This index page has links to
thousands of very valuable information resources covering all
of UNESCO’s Cultural Sector work, grouped according to
UNESCO’s main cultural programme areas which are
currently: World Heritage, Tangible Heritage, Intangible
Heritage, Cultural Diversity, Normative Action (i.e. treaties
and other legal measures), Intercultural Dialogue, Culture and
Development, Cultural Industries, Arts & Creativity,
Copyright, Museums, and Cultural Tourism.
International Council of Museums (ICOM): Extensive
website with a wide range of resources, with links to those of
all of its more than 30 specialist international committees and
affiliated organisations. http://icom.museum/
International Council on Monuments and Sites
(ICOMOS): http://www.icomos.org/
The International Committee of the Blue Shield
(ICBS)/Comité International du Bouclier Bleu (CIBB):
http://www.ifla.org/blueshield/ The ICBS is the standing joint
emergency preparedness and response committee of the four
UNESCO-linked international professional organisations for
archives (ICA), libraries IFLA), monuments and sites (ICOMOS)
and museums (ICOM). It works closely with UNESCO and
other bodies, and now has special recognition under the 1999
Second Protocol to the Hague Convention on the Protection of
Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, 1954.
International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and
Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM):
http://www.iccrom.org/ Intergovernmental organisation that was
established in Rome in 1959, with a world-wide mandate to
promote the conservation of all types of cultural heritage, both
movable and immovable. It currently comprises over 100 Member
States, and aims at improving the quality of conservation practice as
well as raising awareness about the importance of preserving
cultural heritage. Its website give access to a very wide range of
resources including ICCROM’s Library and conservation training
course databases, expert reports and other publications.
Inventories and Documentation advice:
Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (2004) :
http://www.dublincore.org/
International Council of Museums. International Committee for
Documentation (CIDOC) (1993). Registration step by step: when an
object enters the museum. CIDOC Fact Sheet 1. English, French and
other versions. CIDOC Services Working Group. International
Council of Museums. http://www.cidoc.icom.org/fact1.htm
International Council of Museums. International Committee
for Documentation (CIDOC) (1994). Labelling and marking
objects. CIDOC Fact Sheet 2. English, French and other
versions. CIDOC Services Working Group. International
Council of Museums. http://www.cidoc.icom.org/fact2.htm
International Council of Museums. Object ID.
http://icom.museum/object-id
Care and Preservation of Collections
Bibliographic Database of the Conservation Information
Network. The Web’s most complete bibliographic resource for
the conservation, preservation and restoration of cultural
property http://www.bcin.ca
CoOL: Conservation Online: a project of the Preservation
Department of Stanford University Libraries, is a full text
library of conservation information, covering a wide spectrum
of topics of interest to those involved with the conservation of
library, archives and museum materials. Links page to many
other conservation related sites. http://palimpsest.stanford.edu
The Canadian Conservation Institute. Access to their library
catalogue, order form for publications, and links page to many
other conservation related sites. http://www.cci-icc.gc.ca
Center for Conservation in Quebec, Canada, A new and
excellent materials database on the web, describing the uses
and sources of many materials used in museum exhibits, and
storage, such as encapsulation with Mylar.
http://preservart.ccq.mcc.gouv.qc.ca
Visitor Services:
Audience Development Plans: Practical advisory booklet
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prepared by the Heritage Lottery Fund (United Kingdom) for
those wishing to apply for their grants, but publicly available,
and can be downloaded free of charge from its website in PDF
format: http://www.hlf.org.uk
Visitor Study Groups:
Evaluation and Visitor Research Interest Group Australia:
http://amol.org.au/evrsig/
Visitor Studies Association (based in the USA):
http://www.visitorstudies.org/links.htm
Visitor Studies Group UK: http://www.visitors.org.uk/
Planning for the Disabled
Designing for access to buildings: For information on
planning for disabled or elderly access to buildings see:
http://www.cae.org.uk/sheets/designs_sheets/ramps.html
Thinking about Access, Improving your project for
disabled people: Practical advisory booklet prepared by the
Heritage Lottery Fund (United Kingdom) for those wishing to
apply for their grants, but publicly available, and can be
downloaded free of charge from its website in PDF format:
http://www.hlf.org.uk
Access for All Toolkit: This is intended to help museums
etc. to audit their current services and facilities in terms of
access and overcoming social exclusion: free from the Museums
Libraries and Archives Council for England (MLA). Can be
downloaded in PDF and MS Word formats:
http://www.mla.gov.uk/action/learnacc/00access_04.asp
“See it right” information pack of the UK’s Royal National
Institute for the Blind: gives valuable information on planning for
and responding to visually impaired visitors. Available online at:
http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/PublicW
ebsite/public_seeitright.hcsp
Principles of Universal Design: supported by the National
Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research of the
United States Department of Education, helps with the design
of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the
greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or
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specialized design.
http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/univ_design/principles/udprin
ciples.htm
Personnel Management and Training
ICOM International Committee for the Training of
Personnel: Wide-ranging resource on personnel issues, including
on-line directory of training courses and programmes, and
original papers and reports. http://ictop.icom.museum/
ICOM Curricula Guidelines for Museum Professional
Development: including museum training bibliography:
http://museumstudies.si.edu/ICOM-ICTOP/index.htm
ICCROM – Training Opportunities Directory:
http://www.iccrom.org/eng/training/opportunities.php
Marketing
Fuel For the Arts: Remarkable global on-line resource (hosted
by the Australia Council for the Arts) covering all aspects of
marketing, promotion and audience/visitor for all areas of the
cultural sector, with over 15,000 members in 128 countries.
Free registration gives access to over 2,000 free practical
resources: reports, publications, practical “how to” advice, etc.
and regular e-mail newsletters. http://www.fuel4arts.com/
Illicit Trafficking: information and advice on missing
objects:
Interpol: http://www.interpol.int/Public/WorkOfArt/Default.asp
The Art Loss Register: http://www.artloss.com/
Invaluable (Trace): http://www.invaluable.com/stolenart/
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Brief biographies of the Authors
Patrick Boylan was Professor of Arts Policy and Management
at City University London from 1990 to 2004, and was Head of
Department 1990 –1996. On his recent retirement the University
honoured him with the title of Professor Emeritus of Heritage
Policy and Management. From 1964 to 1990 he held senior
positions in English museums and arts organisations, including
18 years as Director of Museums and Arts for Leicestershire. He
was the Centenary President of the United Kingdom’s Museums
Association 1988-1990, and from 1977-2004 held a wide range
of offices in ICOM, including service as an Executive Council
member, Vice-President, President of the ICOM International
Committee for the Training of Personnel (ICTOP), and of
ICOM’s United Kingdom National Committee. He has written
nearly 200 publications on geology, history of science, museums,
heritage, cultural policy and management.
Cornelia Brüninghaus-Knubel has been Head of the
Education Department at the Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum
Duisburg since 1985. In 1969 she became one of the first
professional museum educators in Germany, working primarily in
museums of modern art (Museum Folkwang Essen,
Kunstmuseum Düsseldorf ) before founding the Children’s
Museum at the Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum. She was
Chairperson of ICOM–CECA, the International Committee for
Museum Education and Cultural Action, from 1983 to 1989.
From 1975 to 1982 she also taught Museum Education and Art
History at the Universities of Essen and Gießen, and since 1989
she has conducted training courses in Museology and Museum
Education for the Goethe Institute on many continents.
Gary Edson is Executive Director of the Museum of Texas Tech
University, Director of the Center for Advanced Study of
Museum Science and Heritage Management, and Professor of
Museum Science. He has been a member of the American
Association of Museums (AAM) Board (1992-1994), the
AAM/ICOM Board (1994-2000), and a member of the
AAM/ICOM Executive Committee (1997-2000). He is an active
member of the ICOM Ethics Committee (1997-2004) and has
served on various other academic and museum related boards,
serving on the ICOM Executive Council since 2001. He is a guest
lecturer on museum administration at the Reinwardt Academy,
Amsterdam, and a consultant to the University of Costa Rica
Committee on Museum Development. In addition to numerous
articles and papers on museology and museum ethics, he is coauthor with David Dean of The Handbook for Museums (1994).
Yani Herreman coordinates the postgraduate course in
Museum Planning and Design in the School of Architecture of
the National University of Mexico. Her senior positions in
several Mexican museums and cultural agencies have included
Head of Design in the Museum of Cultures, Director of the
Natural History Museum of Mexico City, Director of Museums,
Libraries and Cultural Centres of the Mexico City Metropolitan
Government, Deputy Director of Cultural Action of the
Ministry of Finance, and Heritage and Cultural Action
Coordinator at the Iztacala Campus of the National University.
As an active architect and designer she has designed exhibitions
and has actively worked on museum planning and programming
in different countries. She has written on several topics related
to museums, exhibitions, architecture, programming, and the
relationships between museums and exhibitions and both
tourism and urban planning. Within ICOM she was the
founding Chair of ICOM’s Latin-American Regional
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Organisation, chaired the International Committee for Museum
Architecture and Design, and was a member of the Executive
Council and then Vice-President from 1998 to 2004.
Pavel Jirásek has been Director of the Department for the
Protection of the Moveable Cultural Heritage, Museums and
Galleries at the Czech Ministry of Culture since 1999. After
completing his studies at the Czech Technical University he
worked in industry and then at the State Institute for the
Preservation of Monuments in Prague. From 1991 to 1995 he
was coordinator for the protection of the moveable cultural
assets against crime and natural disasters, and from 1996 to
1999 he worked for the integrated system of moveable cultural
heritage at the Ministry of Culture. He has participated in a
number of training courses abroad, focused on the protection
and documentation of collections. Since 2001 he has chaired the
ICOM International Committee for Museum Security (ICMS),
and is active in projects organized by ICOM, the European
Union, Czech Committee of the Blue Shield, Council of
Europe, Interpol, Europol etc. He lectures and publishes on the
protection and restitution of the cultural heritage.
Nicola Ladkin, Adjunct Professor in Museum Science at Texas
Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, has conducted archaeological
fieldwork and worked in museums in England and the USA.
Successively a Lab Supervisor, Collections Manager for
Anthropology, and Registrar in Museum of Texas Tech
University she currently is a Senior Research Associate at the
Museum. She has published and presented papers at workshops
internationally, including a workshop on Collections
Management and Preventive Conservation, in Aswan, Egypt on
behalf of the ICOM International Campaign for the
Establishment of the Nubia Museum.
Geoffrey Lewis chairs the ICOM Ethics Committee. A Past
President of both ICOM and The Museums Association (UK),
and former Chairman of the ICOM Advisory Committee, he
directed the museums of Sheffield and Liverpool (now National
Museums Liverpool) before becoming Director of Museum
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Studies at the University of Leicester. He holds a research degree
in archaeology and the Diploma, Fellowship and Honorary
Fellowship of the Museums Association. He is also an Honorary
Member of ICOM. He has published many papers on
archaeology and museum studies and co-edited and was a major
contributor to the Museums Association’s major work, Manual
of Curatorship: A Guide to Museum Practice.
Stefan Michalski is Senior Conservation Scientist at the
Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI). He has carried out
research and provided advice for over 20 years in the areas of
museum environment and collection preservation. He has carried
out numerous preservation surveys in museums, and taught
courses in North, Central, and South America, the Caribbean,
Europe, Egypt and Kuwait. He was coordinator of the ICOM
Conservation Committee’s Preventive Conservation Working
Group for two triennials, and has an extensive list of publications.
Currently he is working on a computerised knowledge base for
risk assessment of collections, and a training course on risk
assessment with the CCI and ICCROM for 2005.
Paal Mork has been in charge of communications and
marketing at the Norsk Folkemuseum, Oslo, since 1992, where
he has developed the communications strategies for the museum
as a whole and for several major exhibitions. He holds a Master’s
degree in Ethnology and is also educated in Marketing and
Communications. He has published articles and given lectures
on museum marketing and communications, focussing
especially on branding and strategic planning. Since 2003 he has
been the Chairman of ICOM’s International Committee for
Museum Marketing and Public Relations (MPR), after serving
as its Vice-Chairman since 2000.
Lyndel Prott is currently Adjunct Professor at the Research
School for Asia and the Pacific at the Australian National
University, Canberra, Australia, and was previously the Director of
the Cultural Heritage Division of UNESCO, Paris. She holds
degrees in Law and Arts from the Universities of Sydney and
Tübingen, Germany, and the Free University of Brussels. She has
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had wide experience of cultural heritage law, including
negotiations for international legal instruments to restrain illegal
traffic and their practical implementation in many countries of the
world. She has written about 250 publications on cultural heritage
law, comparative law, international law and jurisprudence,
including the key Commentary on the UNIDROIT Convention,
and she is publishing in five volumes, with her co-author Patrick
O’Keefe, the seminal work in this subject Law and the Cultural
Heritage. A member of ICOM for over two decades, her work has
been recognized by the award of the distinctions of Officer of the
Order of Australia, the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and
the Arts (First Class) and an LL.D. (honoris causa) from the
University of Sydney.
Andrew Roberts has been involved with museum
documentation for thirty years, and is actively committed to the
development of the standards and systems now in use in many
museums. He worked for the Museum Documentation
Association (MDA) from 1974-1991, where his responsibilities
included providing advice and training, developing publications,
organising conferences and developing museum documentation
standards. In 1993 he joined the Museum of London where his
responsibilities included the management and use of collection
information and associated resources. He has been an active
member of the International Committee for Documentation
(ICOM-CIDOC) since 1976, including six years as Chair of the
Committee from 1989-1995. He was also an advisor on the
AFRICOM project, developing and implementing
documentation standards for African museums.
Vicky Woollard, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Cultural
Policy and Management, City University London, is currently the
Programme Director of the MA in Museum and Gallery
Management. She was previously education officer for eighteen
years within three London Museums and also lecturer / consultant
to museums and heritage agencies in England, South America,
Sarawak, Finland, Papua New Guinea, Colombia and Latvia. She
was co-Director of three British Council International Seminars,
and co author of Museum and Gallery Education: A Manual of
Good Practice (1999). She also takes an active part in the Museums
Association and is a Board member for the Women’s Library and
the Group for Education in Museums. Her academic interests are
in museum and gallery education and the continuing professional
development of museum professionals.
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ICOM Code of Professional Ethics
INTRODUCTION
This edition of the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums is the
culmination of six years’ revision. Following a thorough review of
the ICOM’s Code in the light of contemporary museum practice,
a revised version, structured on the earlier edition, was issued in
2001. As envisaged at that time, this has now been completely
reformatted to give it the look and feel of the museum profession
and is based on key principles of professional practice, elaborated
to provide general ethical guidance. The Code has been the subject
of three periods of consultation with the membership. It was
approved at the 21st General Assembly of ICOM, Seoul in 2004
with acclamation.
The whole ethos of the document continues to be that of
service to society, the community, the public and its various
constituencies, and the professionalism of museum practitioners.
While there is a changed emphasis throughout the document
resulting from the new structure, the accentuation of key points
and the use of shorter paragraphs, very little is totally new. The
new features will be found in paragraph 2.11 and the principles
outlined in sections 3, 5 and 6.
The Code of Ethics for Museums provides a means of
professional self-regulation in a key area of public provision where
legislation at a national level is variable and far from consistent. It
sets minimum standards of conduct and performance to which
museum professional staff throughout the world may reasonably
aspire and provides a statement of reasonable public expectation
from the museum profession.
ICOM issued its Ethics of Acquisition in 1970 and a full Code
of Professional Ethics in 1986. The present edition – and its
interim document of 2001 – owe much to that early work. The
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major work of revision and restructuring, however, fell on the
current members of the Ethics Committee and their contribution
in meetings – both actual and electronic – and their
determination to meet both target and schedule is gratefully
acknowledged. Their names are listed below.
Like its precursors, the present Code provides a global
minimum standard on which national and specialist groups can
build to meet their particular requirements. ICOM encourages
the development of national and specialist codes of ethics to meet
particular needs and will be pleased to receive copies of them.
These should be sent to the Secretary-General of ICOM, Maison
de l’UNESCO, 1 rue Miollis, 75732 Paris Cedex 15, France. Email: [email protected]
Geoffrey Lewis
Chair, ICOM Ethics Committee
ICOM Ethics Committee for the period 2001-2004
Chair: Geoffrey Lewis (UK)
Members: Gary Edson (USA); Per Kåks (Sweden); Byung-mo
Kim (Republic of Korea); Pascal Makambila (Congo) – from
2002; Jean-Yves Marin (France); Bernice Murphy (Australia) –
to 2002; Tereza Scheiner (Brazil); Shaje’a Tshiluila (Democratic
Republic of Congo); Michel Van-Praët (France).
PREAMBLE
Status of the Code of Ethics for Museums
This Code of Ethics for Museums has been prepared by the
International Council of Museums. It is the statement of ethics for
museums referred to in the ICOM Statutes. This Code reflects
principles generally accepted by the international museum
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community. Membership of ICOM and the payment of the annual
subscription to ICOM is an affirmation of this Code of Ethics.
A Minimum Standard for Museums
This Code represents a minimum standard for museums. It is
presented as a series of principles supported by guidelines of
desirable professional practice. In some countries certain
minimum standards are defined by law or government
regulation. In others, guidance on and assessment of minimum
professional standards may be available in the form of
‘Accreditation’, ‘Registration’ or similar evaluative schemes.
Where such standards are not defined, guidance can be obtained
through the ICOM Secretariat, the National Committee of
ICOM, or the appropriate International Committee of ICOM.
It is also intended that individual nations and the specialised
subject organisations connected with museums should use this
Code as a basis for developing additional standards.
Translations of the Code of Ethics for Museums
The ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums is published in three
versions: English, French and Spanish. ICOM welcomes the
translation of the Code into other languages. However, a
translation will be regarded as “official” only if it is endorsed by
at least one national committee of a country in which the
language is spoken, normally as the first language. Where the
language is spoken in more than one country it is preferable that
the national committees of these countries should also be
consulted. Attention is drawn to the need for linguistic as well
as professional expertise in providing official translations. The
language version used for the translation and the names of the
national committees involved should be indicated. These
conditions do not restrict translations of the Code, or parts of it,
for use in educational work or for study purposes.
SECTIONS
1. Museums preserve, interpret and promote aspects of the
natural and cultural inheritance of humanity.
Institutional standing
Physical resources
Financial resources
Personnel
2. Museums that maintain collections hold them in trust for
the benefit of society and its development.
Acquiring collections
Removing collections
Care of collections
3. Museums hold primary evidence for establishing and
furthering knowledge.
Primary evidence
Museum collecting & research
4. Museums provide opportunities for the appreciation,
enjoyment, understanding and management of the natural
and cultural heritage.
Display and exhibition
Other resources
5. Museum resources provide opportunities for other public
services and benefits.
Identification services
6. Museums work in close collaboration with the
communities from which their collections originate as well
as those they serve.
Origin of collections
Respect for communities served
7. Museums operate in a legal manner.
Legal framework
8. Museums operate in a professional manner.
Professional conduct
Conflicts of interest
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Glossary for Code of Ethics
Appraisal:
The authentication and valuation of an object or specimen. In
certain countries the term is used for an independent assessment
of a proposed gift for tax benefit purposes.
Conflict of interest:
The existence of a personal or private interest which gives rise to
a clash of principle in a work situation, thus restricting, or
having the appearance of restricting, the objectivity of decision
making.
Dealing:
Buying and selling items for personal or institutional gain.
Due diligence:
The requirement that every endeavour is made to establish the
facts of a case before deciding a course of action, particularly in
identifying the source and history of an item offered for
acquisition or use before accepting it.
Conservator-Restorer:
Museum or independent personnel competent to undertake the
technical examination, preservation, conservation and
restoration of cultural property. For further information see
ICOM News 39 (1), pp 5-6 (1986)
Cultural Heritage:
Any thing or concept considered of aesthetic, historical,
scientific or spiritual significance.
Governing Body:
The persons or organisations defined in the enabling legislation
of the museum as responsible for its continuance, strategic
development and funding.
Income-generating activities:
Activities intended to bring financial gain or profit for the
benefit of the institution.
Legal title:
Legal right to ownership of property in the country concerned.
In certain countries this may be a conferred right and
insufficient to meet the requirements of a due diligence search.
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Minimum Standard:
A standard to which it is reasonable to expect all museums and
museum personnel to aspire. Certain countries have their own
statements of minimum standards.
Natural Heritage:
Any natural thing, phenomenon or concept, considered to be of
scientific significance or to be a spiritual manifestation.
Museum: 1
A museum is a non-profit making permanent institution in the
service of society and of its development, open to the public,
which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits,
for purposes of study, education and enjoyment, the tangible and
intangible evidence of people and their environment.
Museum professional: 1
Museum professionals consist of the personnel (whether paid or
unpaid) of museums or institutions as defined in Article 2,
paras. 1 and 2, of the Statutes, who have received specialised
training, or possess an equivalent practical experience in any
field relevant to the management and operations of a museum,
and independent persons respecting the ICOM Code of Ethics
for Museums and working for museums or institutions as
defined in the Statute quoted above, but not persons promoting
or dealing with commercial products and equipment required
for museums and museum services.
Non-profit organisation:
A legally established body, corporate or unincorporated, whose
income (including any surplus or profit) is used solely for the
benefit of that body and its operation. The term Not for profit
has the same meaning.
Provenance:
The full history and ownership of an item from the time of its
discovery or creation to the present day, from which authenticity
and ownership is determined.
Valid title:
Indisputable right to ownership of property, supported by full
provenance of the item from discovery or production.
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It should be noted that the terms “museum” and “museum
professional” are interim definitions for use in interpreting the
ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums. The definitions of “museum”
and “professional museum workers” used in the ICOM Statutes
remain in force until the revision of that document has been
completed.
1
1. Museums preserve, interpret and promote the natural
and cultural inheritance of humanity.
Principle: Museums are responsible for the tangible and intangible
natural and cultural heritage. Governing bodies and those concerned
with the strategic direction and oversight of museums have a primary
responsibility to protect and promote this heritage as well as the human,
physical and financial resources made available for that purpose.
INSTITUTIONAL STANDING
1.1 Enabling documentation
The governing body should ensure that the museum has a written
and published constitution, statute or other public document, in
accordance with national laws which clearly states the museum’s
legal status, mission, permanence, and non-profit nature.
1.2 Statement of the Mission, Objectives, and Policies
The governing body should prepare, publicise and be guided by
a statement of the mission, objectives, and policies of the
museum and of the role and composition of the governing body.
PHYSICAL RESOURCES
1.3 Premises
The governing body should ensure adequate premises with a
suitable environment for the museum to fulfil the basic
functions defined in its mission.
1.4 Access
The governing body should ensure that the museum and its
collections are available to all during reasonable hours and for
regular periods. Particular regard should be given to those
persons with special needs.
1.5 Health and Safety
The governing body should ensure that institutional standards of
health, safety, and accessibility apply to its personnel and visitors.
1.6 Protection Against Disasters
The governing body should develop and maintain policies to
protect the public and personnel, the collections and other
resources, against natural and man-made disasters.
1.7 Security Requirements
The governing body should ensure appropriate security to
protect collections against theft or damage in displays,
exhibitions, working or storage areas, and while in transit.
1.8 Insurance & Indemnity
Where commercial insurance is used for collections, the governing
body should ensure that the cover is adequate and includes objects in
transit or on loan and other items currently the responsibility of the
museum. When an indemnity scheme is in use, it is necessary that
material not in the ownership of the museum is adequately covered.
FINANCIAL RESOURCES
1.9 Funding
The governing body should ensure that there are sufficient funds
to carry out and develop the activities of the museum. All funds
must be accounted for in a professional manner.
1.10 Income-generating Policy
The governing body should have a written policy regarding
sources of income that it may generate through its activities or
accept from outside sources. Regardless of funding source,
museums should maintain control of the content and integrity of
their programmes, exhibitions and activities. Income-generating
activities should not compromise the standards of the institution
or its public (See 6.6).
PERSONNEL
1.11 Employment Policy
The governing body should ensure that all action concerning
personnel is taken in accordance with the policies of the
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museum as well as the proper and legal procedures.
1.12 Appointment of the Director or Head
The director or head of the museum is a key post and when making
an appointment, governing bodies should have regard for the
knowledge and skills required to fill the post effectively. These
qualities should include adequate intellectual ability and professional
knowledge, complemented by a high standard of ethical conduct.
1.13 Access to Governing Bodies
The director or head of a museum should be directly responsible,
and have direct access, to the relevant governing bodies.
1.14 Competence of Museum Personnel
The employment of qualified personnel with the expertise
required to meet all responsibilities is necessary. (See also 2.18;
2.24; 8.12).
1.15 Training of Personnel
Adequate opportunities for the continuing education and
professional development of all museum personnel should be
arranged to maintain an effective workforce.
1.16 Ethical Conflict
The governing body should never require museum personnel to
act in a way that could be considered to conflict with the
provisions of this Code of Ethics, or any national law or specialist
code of ethics.
1.17 Museum Personnel and Volunteers
The governing body should have a written policy on volunteer
work which promotes a positive relationship between volunteers
and members of the museum profession.
1.18 Volunteers and Ethics
The governing body should ensure that volunteers, when
conducting museum and personal activities, are fully conversant
with the ICOM Code of Ethics and other applicable codes and laws.
2. Museums that maintain collections hold them in trust
for the benefit of society and its development.
Principle: Museums have the duty to acquire, preserve and promote
their collections as a contribution to safeguarding the natural,
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cultural and scientific heritage. Their collections are a significant
public inheritance, have a special position in law and are protected
by international legislation. Inherent in this public trust is the
notion of stewardship that includes rightful ownership, permanence,
documentation, accessibility and responsible disposal.
ACQUIRING COLLECTIONS
2.1 Collections Policy
The governing body for each museum should adopt and publish a
written collections policy that addresses the acquisition, care and use
of collections. The policy should clarify the position of any material
that will not be catalogued, conserved, or exhibited (See 2.7; 2.8).
2.2 Valid Title
No object or specimen should be acquired by purchase, gift,
loan, bequest, or exchange unless the acquiring museum is
satisfied that a valid title is held. Evidence of lawful ownership
in a country is not necessarily valid title.
2.3 Provenance and Due Diligence
Every effort must be made before acquisition to ensure that any
object or specimen offered for purchase, gift, loan, bequest, or
exchange has not been illegally obtained in or exported from, its
country of origin or any intermediate country in which it might
have been owned legally (including the museum’s own country).
Due diligence in this regard should establish the full history of
the item from discovery or production.
2.4 Objects and Specimens from Unauthorised or
Unscientific Fieldwork
Museums should not acquire objects where there is reasonable
cause to believe their recovery involved the unauthorised,
unscientific, or intentional destruction or damage of monuments,
archaeological or geological sites, or species and natural habitats.
In the same way, acquisition should not occur if there has been a
failure to disclose the finds to the owner or occupier of the land,
or to the proper legal or governmental authorities.
2.5 Culturally Sensitive Material
Collections of human remains and material of sacred significance
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should be acquired only if they can be housed securely and cared
for respectfully. This must be accomplished in a manner
consistent with professional standards and the interests and beliefs
of members of the community, ethnic or religious groups from
which the objects originated, where known (See also 3.7; 4.3).
2.6 Protected Biological or Geological Specimens
Museums should not acquire biological or geological specimens that
have been collected, sold, or otherwise transferred in contravention
of local, national, regional or international law or treaty relating to
wildlife protection or natural history conservation.
2.7 Living Collections
When the collections include live botanical and zoological
specimens, special considerations should be made for the natural
and social environment from which they are derived as well as
any local, national, regional or international law, or treaty
relating to wildlife protection or natural history conservation
2.8 Working Collections
The collections policy may include special considerations for
certain types of working collection where the emphasis is on
preserving cultural, scientific or technical process rather than the
object, or where objects or specimens are assembled for regular
handling and teaching purposes (See also 2.1).
2.9 Acquisition Outside Collections Policy
The acquisition of objects or specimens outside the museum’s
stated policy should only be made in exceptional circumstances.
The governing body should consider the professional opinions
available to them, and the views of all interested parties.
Consideration will include the significance of the object or
specimen including its context in the cultural or natural heritage,
and the special interests of other museums collecting such
material. However, even in these circumstances, objects without a
valid title should not be acquired (See also 3.4).
2.10 Acquisition by Members of the Governing Body and
Museum Personnel
Special care is required in considering any item, either for sale,
as a donation or as a tax-benefit gift, from members of governing
bodies, museum personnel, or the families and close associates of
these persons.
2.11 Repositories of Last Resort
Nothing in this Code of Ethics should prevent a museum from
acting as an authorised repository for unprovenanced, illicitly
collected or recovered specimens and objects from the territory
over which it has lawful responsibility.
REMOVING COLLECTIONS
2.12 Legal or Other Powers of Disposal
Where the museum has legal powers permitting disposals, or has
acquired objects subject to conditions of disposal, the legal or
other requirements and procedures must be complied with fully.
When the original acquisition was subject to mandatory or
other restrictions these conditions must be observed unless it can
be shown clearly that adherence to such restrictions is impossible
or substantially detrimental to the institution and, if
appropriate, relief obtained through legal procedures.
2.13 Deaccessioning from Museum Collections
The removal of an object or specimen from a museum collection
must only be undertaken with a full understanding of the
significance of the item, its character (whether renewable or
non-renewable), legal standing, and any loss of public trust that
might result from such action.
2.14 Responsibility for Deaccessioning
The decision to deaccession should be the responsibility of the
governing body acting in conjunction with the director of the
museum and the curator of the collection concerned. Special
arrangements may apply to working collections (See 2.7; 2.8).
2.15 Disposal of Objects Removed from the Collections
Each museum should have a policy defining authorised methods
for permanently removing an object from the collections through
donation, transfer, exchange, sale, repatriation, or destruction,
and that allows the transfer of unrestricted title to the receiving
agency. Complete records must be kept of all deaccessioning
decisions, the objects involved, and the disposition of the object.
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There will be a strong presumption that a deaccessioned item
should first be offered to another museum.
2.16 Income from Disposal of Collections
Museum collections are held in public trust and may not be
treated as a realisable asset. Money or compensation received
from the de-accessioning and disposal of objects and specimens
from a museum collection should be used solely for the benefit
of the collection and usually for acquisitions to that collection.
2.17 Purchase of Deaccessioned Collections
Museum personnel, the governing body, or their families or close
associates, should not be permitted to purchase objects that have
been deaccessioned from a collection for which they are responsible.
CARE OF COLLECTIONS
2.18 Collection Continuity
The museum should establish and apply policies to ensure that their
collections (both permanent and temporary) and associated
information, properly recorded, are available for current usage and
will be passed on to future generations in as good and safe a condition
as practicable, having regard to current knowledge and resources.
2.19 Delegation of Collection Responsibility
Professional responsibilities involving the care of the collections
should be assigned to persons with the appropriate knowledge
and skill or who are adequately supervised (See also 8.11).
2.20 Documentation of Collections
Museum collections should be documented according to accepted
professional standards. This documentation should include a full
identification and description of each item, its associations,
provenance, condition, treatment and present location. Such data
should be kept in a secure environment and be supported with
retrieval systems providing access to the information by the
museum personnel and other legitimate users.
2.21 Protection Against Disasters
Careful attention should be given to the development of policies
to protect the collections during armed conflict and other manmade and natural disasters
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2.22 Security of Collection and Associated Data
The museum should exercise control to avoid disclosing
sensitive personal or related information and other confidential
matters when collection data are made available to the public.
2.23 Preventive Conservation
Preventive conservation is an important element of museum
policy and collections care. It is an essential responsibility of
members of the museum profession to create and maintain a
protective environment for the collections in their care, whether
in store, on display or in transit.
2.24 Collection Conservation and Restoration
The museum should carefully monitor the condition of
collections to determine when an object or specimen may
require conservation-restoration work and the services of a
qualified conservator-restorer. The principle goal should be the
stabilisation of the object or specimen. All conservation
procedures should be documented and as reversible as possible,
and all alterations should be clearly identifiable from the original
object or specimen.
2.25 Welfare of Live Animals
A museum that maintains living animals should assume full
responsibility for their health and well-being. It should prepare
and implement a safety code for the protection of its personnel
and visitors, as well as the animals, that has been approved by an
expert in the veterinary field. Genetic modification should be
clearly identifiable.
2.26 Personal Use of Museum Collections
Museum personnel, the governing body, their families, close
associates, or others should not be permitted to expropriate items
from the museum collections, even temporarily, for any personal use.
3. Museums hold primary evidence for establishing and
furthering knowledge.
Principle: Museums have particular responsibilities to all for the
care, accessibility and interpretation of primary evidence collected
and held in their collections.
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PRIMARY EVIDENCE
3.1 Collections as Primary Evidence.
The museum collections policy should indicate clearly the significance
of collections as primary evidence. The policy should verify that this
is not governed by current intellectual trends or museum usage.
3.2 Availability of Collections
Museums have a particular responsibility for making collections and
all relevant information available as freely as possible, having regard
to restraints arising for reasons of confidentiality and security.
MUSEUM COLLECTING & RESEARCH
3.3
Field Collecting
Museums undertaking field collecting should develop policies
consistent with academic standards and applicable national and
international laws and treaty obligations. Fieldwork should only
be undertaken with respect and consideration for the views of local
communities, their environmental resources and cultural practices
as well as efforts to enhance the cultural and natural heritage.
3.4 Exceptional Collecting of Primary Evidence
In very exceptional cases an item without provenance may have
such an inherently outstanding contribution to knowledge that
it would be in the public interest to preserve. The acceptance of
such an item into a museum collection should be the subject of
a decision by specialists in the discipline concerned and without
national or international prejudice (See also 2.11).
3.5 Research
Research by museum personnel should relate to the museum’s
mission and objectives and conform to established legal, ethical
and academic practices.
3.6 Destructive Analysis
When destructive analytical techniques are undertaken a
complete record of the material analysed, the outcome of the
analysis, and the resulting research, including publications,
should become a part of the permanent record of the object.
3.7 Human Remains and Material of Sacred Significance
Research on human remains and materials of sacred significance
must be accomplished in a manner consistent with professional
standards and taking into account the interests and beliefs of the
community, ethnic or religious groups from whom the objects
originated where these are known (See also 2.5; 4.3).
3.8 Retention of Rights to Research Materials
When museum personnel prepare material for presentation or to
document field investigation there must be clear agreement with
the sponsoring museum regarding all rights to the work.
3.9 Shared Expertise
Members of the museum profession have an obligation to share
their knowledge and experience with colleagues, scholars and
students in relevant fields. They should respect and acknowledge
those from whom they have learned and should pass on such
advancements in techniques and experience that may be of
benefit to others.
3.10 Co-operation Between Museums & Other Institutions
Museum personnel should acknowledge and endorse the need
for co-operation and consultation between institutions with
similar interests and collecting practices. This is particularly so
with institutes of higher education and certain public utilities
where research may generate important collections for which
there is no long term security.
4. Museums provide opportunities for the appreciation,
understanding and promotion of the natural and cultural
heritage.
Principle: Museums have an important duty to develop their
educational role and attract wider audiences from the community,
locality, or group they serve. Interaction with the constituent
community and promotion of their heritage is an integral part of the
educational role of the museum.
DISPLAY & EXHIBITION
4.1 Displays, Exhibitions and Special Activities
Displays and temporary exhibitions, physical or electronic,
should be in accordance with the stated mission, policy and
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purpose of the museum. They should not compromise either the
quality or the proper care and conservation of the collections.
4.2 Interpretation of Exhibits
Museums should ensure that the information they present in
displays and exhibitions is well-founded, accurate and gives
appropriate consideration to represented groups or beliefs.
4.3 Exhibition of Sensitive Materials
Human remains and materials of sacred significance must be
displayed in a manner consistent with professional standards and,
where known, taking into account the interests and beliefs of
members of the community, ethnic or religious groups from whom
the objects originated. They must be presented with great tact and
respect for the feelings of human dignity held by all peoples.
4.4 Removal from Public Display
Requests for removal from public display of human remains or
material of sacred significance from the originating communities
must be addressed expeditiously with respect and sensitivity.
Requests for the return of such material should be addressed
similarly. Museum policies should clearly define the process for
responding to such requests.
4.5 Display of Unprovenanced Material
Museums should avoid displaying or otherwise using material of
questionable origin or lacking provenance. They should be
aware that such displays or usage can be seen to condone and
contribute to the illicit trade in cultural property.
OTHER RESOURCES
4.6 Publication
Information published by museums, by whatever means, should be
well-founded, accurate and give responsible consideration to the
academic disciplines, societies, or beliefs presented. Museum
publications should not compromise the standards of the institution.
4.7 Reproductions
Museums should respect the integrity of the original when
replicas, reproductions, or copies of items in the collection are
made. All such copies should be permanently marked as facsimiles.
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5. Museum resources provide opportunities for other public
services and benefits.
Principle: Museums use a wide variety of specialisms, skills and
physical resources which have a far wider application than in the
museum. This may lead to shared resources or the provision of
services as an extension of the museum’s activities. They should be
organised in such a way that they do not compromise the museum’s
stated mission.
IDENTIFICATION SERVICES
5.1 Identification of Illegally or Illicitly Acquired Objects
Where museums provide an identification service, they should
not act in any way that could be regarded as benefiting from
such activity, directly or indirectly. The identification and
authentication of objects that are believed or suspected to have
been illegally or illicitly acquired, transferred, imported or
exported should not be made public until the appropriate
authorities have been notified.
5.2 Authentication and Valuation (Appraisal)
Valuations may be made for the purposes of insurance of
museums collections. Opinions on the monetary value of other
objects should only be given on official request, from other
museums, or competent legal, governmental or other
responsible public authorities. However, when the museum may
be the beneficiary, appraisal of an object or specimen must be
undertaken independently.
6. Museums work in close collaboration with the
communities from which their collections originate as
well as those they serve.
Principle: Museum collections reflect the cultural and natural
heritage of the communities from which they have been derived. As
such they have a character beyond that of ordinary property which
may include strong affinities with national, regional, local, ethnic,
religious or political identity. It is important therefore that museum
policy is responsive to this possibility.
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ORIGIN OF COLLECTIONS
6.1 Co-operation
Museums should promote the sharing of knowledge,
documentation and collections with museums and cultural
organisations in the countries and communities of origin. The
possibility of developing partnerships with museums in countries
or areas that have lost a significant part of their heritage should
be explored.
6.2 Return of Cultural Property
Museums should be prepared to initiate dialogues for the return
of cultural property to a country or people of origin. This should
be undertaken in an impartial manner, based on scientific,
professional and humanitarian principles as well as applicable
local, national and international legislation, in preference to
action at a governmental or political level.
6.3 Restitution of Cultural Property
When a country or people of origin seek the restitution of an
object or specimen that can be demonstrated to have been
exported or otherwise transferred in violation of the principles of
international and national conventions, and shown to be part of
that country’s or people’s cultural or natural heritage, the
museum concerned should, if legally free to do so, take prompt
and responsible steps to co-operate in its return.
6.4 Cultural Objects From an Occupied Country
Museums should abstain from purchasing or acquiring cultural
objects from an occupied territory and respect fully all laws and
conventions that regulate the import, export and transfer of
cultural or natural materials.
RESPECT FOR COMMUNITIES SERVED
6.5 Contemporary Communities
Where museum activities involve a contemporary community or
its heritage, acquisitions should only be made based on
informed and mutual consent without exploitation of the owner
or informants. Respect for the wishes of the community
involved should be paramount.
6.6 Funding of Community Facilities
When seeking funds for activities involving contemporary
communities, their interests should not be compromised (See 1.10).
6.7 Use of Collections from Contemporary Communities
Museum usage of collections from contemporary communities
requires respect for human dignity and the traditions and
cultures that use them. Such collections should be used to
promote human well-being, social development, tolerance, and
respect by advocating multi-social, multicultural and
multilingual expression (See 4.3).
6.8 Supporting Organisations in the Community
Museums should create a favourable environment for community
support (eg Friends of Museums and other supporting
organisations), recognise its contribution and promote a harmonious
relationship between the community and museum personnel.
7.
Museums operate in a legal manner.
Principle: Museums must conform fully to international, regional,
national, or local legislation and treaty obligations. In addition, the
governing body should comply with any legally binding trusts or
conditions relating to any aspect of the museum, its collections and
operations.
LEGAL FRAMEWORK
7.1 National and Local Legislation.
Museums should conform to all national and local laws and
respect the legislation of other states as they affect their operation.
7.2 International Legislation
Museum policy should acknowledge the following international
legislation which is taken as a standard in interpreting the
ICOM Code of Ethics:
Unesco Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in
the Event of Armed Conflict (The Hague Convention, First
Protocol, 1954 and Second Protocol, 1999);
Unesco Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and
Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of
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Ownership of Cultural Property (1970);
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of
Wild Fauna and Flora (1973);
UN Convention on Biological Diversity (1992);
Unidroit Convention on Stolen and Illegally Exported
Cultural Objects (1995);
Unesco Convention on the protection of the Underwater
Cultural Heritage (2001);
Unesco Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible
Cultural Heritage (2003).
8.
Museums operate in a professional manner.
Principle: Members of the museum profession should observe
accepted standards and laws and uphold the dignity and honour of
their profession. They should safeguard the public against illegal or
unethical professional conduct. Every opportunity should be used to
inform and educate the public about the aims, purposes, and
aspirations of the profession to develop a better public
understanding of the contributions of museums to society.
PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
8.1 Familiarity with Relevant Legislation
Every member of the museum profession should be conversant
with relevant international, national and local legislation and the
conditions of their employment. They should avoid situations
that could be construed as improper conduct.
8.2 Professional Responsibility
Members of the museum profession have an obligation to follow
the policies and procedures of their employing institution.
However, they may properly object to practices that are
perceived to be damaging to a museum or the profession and
matters of professional ethics.
8.3 Professional Conduct
Loyalty to colleagues and to the employing museum is an
important professional responsibility and must be based on
allegiance to fundamental ethical principles applicable to the
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profession as a whole. They should comply with the terms of the
ICOM Code of Ethics and be aware of any other codes or policies
relevant to museum work.
8.4 Academic and Scientific Responsibilities
Members of the museum profession should promote the
investigation, preservation, and use of information inherent in
the collections. They should, therefore, refrain from any activity
or circumstance that might result in the loss of such academic
and scientific data.
8.5 The Illicit Market
Members of the museum profession should not support the
illicit traffic or market in natural and cultural property, directly
or indirectly.
8.6 Confidentiality
Members of the museum profession must protect confidential
information obtained during their work. In addition,
information about items brought to the museum for
identification is confidential and should not be published or
passed to any other institution or person without specific
authorisation from the owner.
8.7 Museum and Collection Security
Information about the security of the museum or of private
collections and locations visited during official duties must be
held in strict confidence by museum personnel.
8.8 Exception to sthe Obligation for Confidentiality
Confidentiality is subject to a legal obligation to assist the police
or other proper authorities in investigating possible stolen,
illicitly acquired, or illegally transferred property.
8.9 Personal Independence
While members of a profession are entitled to a measure of
personal independence, they must realise that no private
business or professional interest can be wholly separated from
their employing institution.
8.10 Professional Relationships
Members of the museums profession form working relationships
with numerous other persons within and outside the museum in
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which they are employed. They are expected to render their
professional services to others efficiently and to a high standard.
8.11 Professional Consultation
It is a professional responsibility to consult other colleagues
within or outside the museum when the expertise available is
insufficient in the museum to ensure good decision-making.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
8.12 Gifts, Favours, Loans, or Other Personal Benefits
Museum employees must not accept gifts, favours, loans, or other
personal benefits that may be offered to them in connection with
their duties for the museum. Occasionally professional courtesy
may include the giving and receiving of gifts but this should always
take place in the name of the institution concerned.
8.13 Outside Employment or Business Interests
Members of the museum profession, although entitled to a
measure of personal independence, must realise that no private
business or professional interest can be wholly separated from
their employing institution. They should not undertake other
paid employment or accept outside commissions that are in
conflict with, or may be viewed as being in conflict with the
interests of the museum.
8.14 Dealing in Natural or Cultural Heritage
Members of the museum profession should not participate
directly or indirectly in dealing (buying or selling for profit), in
the natural or cultural heritage.
8.15 Interaction with Dealers
Museum professionals should not accept any gift, hospitality, or
any form of reward from a dealer, auctioneer, or other person as
an inducement to purchase or dispose of museum items, or to
take or refrain from taking official action. Furthermore, a
museum professional should not recommend a particular dealer,
auctioneer, or appraiser to a member of the public.
8.16 Private Collecting
Members of the museum profession should not compete with
their institution either in the acquisition of objects or in any
personal collecting activity. An agreement between the museum
professional and the governing body concerning any private
collecting must be formulated and scrupulously followed.
8.17 Use of the Name and Logo of ICOM
Members of ICOM may not use of the words “International
Council of Museums”, “ICOM” or its logo to promote or
endorse any for-profit operation or product.
8.18 Other Conflicts of Interest
Should any other conflict of interest develop between an individual
and the museum, the interests of the museum should prevail.
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